By HEATHER LARSE
Is Utah County Jail violating the Eighth Amendment by inflicting 'cruel and unusual punishment' as the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) claims?
The Utah chapter of the ACLU filed a lawsuit in federal court Monday against Utah County, claiming the inmates rights were being violated because of overcrowding.
The complaint states, 'conditions at the jail which fall below the standards of human decency, deny basic human needs and inflict needless suffering on prisoners.'
I took a tour of the jail to observe those conditions first-hand.
Scheduling a tour of the jail was difficult.
'We are too busy and overcrowded to have tours during the day,' said Danny Curtis, the shift sergeant. 'I don't even have 10 or 15 minutes to take you on a tour.'
I called the night shift sergeant that evening and was able to arrange a tour at 7 p.m.
At the main entrance two young inmates were being released. They appeared to be in their late teens and were excited to be released. They told me the jail was definitely overcrowded.
There were around 43 television screens in the office area, and some of the screens were divided into several sections. Every room and every hallway was monitored by cameras. As we walked down the hallways, the orange metal doors' electric locks would automatically be unlocked by someone watching us on a monitor.
Mike Pientka, the shift sergeant, explained some of the overcrowded conditions and the problems that arise from these conditions.
Pientka said the jail was built with a capacity of 172 inmates; the jail was now holding 260 inmates.
'In the east housing area, which is similar to a dormitory, there are 60 inmates when the area is only designed for 40,' he said.
Pientka said problems from these conditions range from the inmates having to eat meals on their laps for lack of table space to increased tension and more assaults.
Health problems also increase because the inmates are in such a confined area, Pientka said. 'If one (inmate) gets a cold, they all get a cold.'
The overcrowding has gradually increased over the last few years, but this last year has been the worst. Population growth, increased crime rates and gang activity are factors in the jail's overcrowded conditions, he said.
Pientka said another jail was built in Spanish Fork, but the residents voted against the bond that would fund the staffing and equipment the jail needs.
'Currently, we have about five staff members for 260 inmates,' he said.
After this discussion, Deputy Darin Durfey showed me the rest of the facilities excluding the cell blocks. Durfey said he wanted to spare me from the catcalls, and he wanted to protect the inmates' privacy.
However, I was able to view the cells on the monitors. Some of the cells had four inmates with four beds. The cells are approximately 10 feet by 12 feet in area, according to Durfey.
On another monitor I saw several inmates sitting around. Pientka said this room was about 40 feet by 40 feet in area and held 65 to 70 inmates.
Some inmates, in either bright orange or navy blue prison garb with the lettering UTAH COUNTY JAIL printed on the back of the shirts, seemed to have a little more freedom than the other inmates.
A secretary, who wished to be unnamed, said these inmates have earned the privilege of being trustees.