News

Actions

County Jails Nationwide At Risk in Disasters

Escambia Co Jail
Posted

PENSACOLA, Fla. (AP) - Civil rights activists say inmates in county jails throughout the United States are vulnerable to natural disasters.

An April explosion at the Escambia County Jail in Pensacola killed two inmates and paralyzed a corrections officer. The explosion happened during record flooding in the region. Despite the flooding and numerous complaints about a natural gas smell, the more than 600 inmates were not evacuated.

During Hurricane Katrina in 2005, thousands of inmates were left in a New Orleans jail when workers fled the rising waters.

Experts say one problem is that most county jails are operated at the local level without supervision of outside agencies. Another problem is that spending on jails is not popular among voters who would rather see the money to roads, schools or other community improvements.