A lawsuit by Disability Rights Mississippi appears to have lit a fire under county officials when it comes to improving conditions at the Lauderdale County Juvenile Detention Facility.
DRM, part of the Mississippi Youth Justice Project and the Southern Poverty Law Center, filed suit against the county in October because they were denied access to the facility, which they requested to enter in order to assess reports of sub-standard conditions and ill treatment of juveniles. DRM said they have a right under federal law to enter the facility.
Since the suit was filed, the Lauderdale County Board of Supervisors have taken a few small steps toward improving some of the conditions there.
On Thursday, the board approved a new position of part-time janitor, working 18 hours per week at the facility. Another employee spends six hours per week doing janitorial work there.
At a meeting Monday, the board authorized the purchase of new tables and seating for the facility and created a 15 hour per week recreational officer position.
After approving the janitorial position, the board went into a closed meeting for about two hours in which they discussed the facility.
Lee Thaggard, an attorney representing the county in the juvenile center suit, was scheduled to make a presentation on recommendations regarding the center, but it was moved from the open meeting agenda and instead discussed in the closed meeting.
Board Attorney Rick Barry said it was necessary to move the presentation into the closed meeting because it pertained to the lawsuit.
Issues brought up by County Administrator Mike Sumrall regarding the juvenile center were also held until the closed meeting, during which Thaggard reported no action was taken.
Thaggard said after the meeting that he could not offer any additional information on the juvenile center situation.
According to Southern Poverty Law Center, reports of poor conditions at the center from children detained there and their parents included unsanitary conditions, lack of educational, medical, and mental health services, unnecessary use of Mace, sub-standard food, and juveniles being confined to their cells for excessive amounts of time, among other things.
Thaggard addressed some of those concerns after Monday's board meeting, saying that educational, medical, and mental health services are available to the children detained at the center, that the food given to the juveniles meets strict nutritional requirements.
He also addressed reports that children were made to sleep on mats on the floor, saying bunk beds have been installed at the facility.
Thaggard said Monday that there is a possibility the county and DRM can resolve the lawsuit — which is over access to the facility, not conditions there — without a court hearing. He said the county can choose to close the facility "at any time."
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