The coalition met on Thursday in Dayton to share the state’s response and plan its next steps. The coalition said officials at the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction responded to the jail coalition on July 3, saying the Bureau of Adult Detention reviewed deaths at the pre-trial facility last year.
“As part of the Bureau’s reviews of the deaths, it was determined that the jail was not compliant with several applicable jail standards,” according to the letter released by the coalition.
The jail submitted a list of plans to the state department to bring itself into compliance, according to the coalition.
These plans included the reprogramming of the jail’s electronic health record program, updating its process for using medications for opioid-use disorder, the creation of a detox area and the addition of comfort medications as an option for inmates, according to the coalition.
“These changes have been meaningful as there have been no overdose deaths at the jail since July 2023,” says the letter. “The Bureau believes its review of the jail deaths in 2023 and continuing work with the jail have resulted in improved operations and, therefore, no further investigation is needed.”
“The Montgomery County Jail Coalition is pleased to that the state of Ohio responded to our petition with this crucial information,” the coalition shared in a statement on Thursday. “We are disappointed that none of this information had been shared with us by local county officials, despite our repeated requests and appearances.”
Coalition members at Thursday’s meeting voiced that they want their group to have an emphasis on pressing local leaders for transparency at the jail and with behavioral health planning.
“What it shows to both our local and state officials is that when the community acts together in one voice and in unison, we can make things happen, " coalition member Joel Pruce said on Thursday.
The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that its correctional staff and medical provider made changes based on feedback from the state, and it maintains state compliance.
“A large portion of our jail population are drug dependent, have severe mental health issues, and suffer from chronic medical conditions and we are constantly adapting to recognize and treat new drugs of abuse that are smuggled into our community that has for many years been a test market for foreign drug cartels,” said Chief Deputy Matt Haines.
The Dayton Daily News has requested records of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction’s review of the 2023 deaths.
In 2023, seven inmate deaths were reported from January through July, and in December a man died after he was transferred from the jail to the hospital.
Those who died included Steven D. Blackshear, 45; Aaron Dixon, 52; Amber Goonan, 41; Isaiah Trammell, 19; Amanda Campbell, 44; Gerald Ford, 47; Terry Clemmons, 47; and Douglas Sutton, 56.
Our analysis of state data also showed more people died after coming into custody at the Montgomery County jail last year than any other jail in Ohio. The Dayton Daily News investigated what was causing this rash of fatalities, and what county officials are doing about it.
The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office previously commented that the state found “no deficiencies” in its handling of Trammell’s death.
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