2019 July 1 Criminal Justice Council Fails to Make Changes

Criminal Justice Council Fails to Make Meaningful Changes to County Criminal Justice System

Coalition Packs Meeting to Demand Action

Cleveland OH – July 1, 2019 – It has been over a year since the Cuyahoga County Criminal Justice Council was created in June of 2018, and during that time it has failed to take meaningful action to address any of the crises facing the Cuyahoga County criminal justice system, despite the fact that one of its stated objectives is “[t]o respond to critical issues and collectively develop solutions.”

Members and supporters of the Coalition to Stop the Inhumanity at the Cuyahoga County Jail are packing the Criminal Justice Council quarterly meeting at 9:30AM on Monday, and will provide testimony calling attention to the numerous “critical issues” within the county justice system, such as the ongoing brutality, horrific conditions, and severe overcrowding at the county jail, and demanding that the Criminal Justice Council take action. The coalition will hold a press conference on the Lakeside Ave side of the Justice Center at 8:45AM prior to attending the meeting.

“Where is the sense of urgency?” Said Evan O’Reilly, a member of the Ohio Student Association. “As of the most recent inspection last month, the county jail is still in violation of 66 state minimum standards, including basic health and safety code violations that would require any small business to be closed. The lack of empathy and basic respect for the humanity of the people who are locked in that jail that this demonstrates is just astounding. If the people in charge really cared, more would’ve been done by now,” he added.

“The Criminal Justice Council has been meeting for over a year, the county has been talking about bail reform for literal years, but despite all the lip service they've given to enacting bail reform they haven't gotten a single piece of it done - in fact, the jail is more crowded than ever. So if the Criminal Justice Council apparently has no ability to solve this problem, or if they're simply unwilling to solve it, then why do they even exist?” Said Yvonka Hall of the Northeast Ohio Black Health Coalition.

“We’re showing up to make them hear us and see us, the way they’re refusing to hear and see the people who are suffering in the jail. And we’re going to overcrowd their meeting the way they’ve overcrowded the jail,” Hall added.

Background: The Coalition To Stop the Inhumanity at the Cuyahoga County Jail comprises seventeen local grassroots organization including Black Lives Matter Cleveland, the Ohio Student Association, the Cuyahoga County Progressive Caucus, and many others. Our agenda includes safe, healthy, and humane conditions at the Cuyahoga County Jail; elimination of pre-trial incarceration for those accused of nonviolent offenses; the end of blatant brutality, and achieving transparency in jail operations so all are treated humanely.

Coalition Members:

Black Lives Matter Cleveland

Black on Black Crime Inc.

Carl Stokes Brigade

Cleveland Democratic Socialists of America

Cleveland Lead Advocates for Safe Housing

Communist Party, USA Cleveland

Imperial Women Coalition

Inter-Religious Task Force

Northeast Ohio Black Health Coalition

Ohio Organizing Collaborative

Ohio Student Association

Puncture the Silence-Stop Mass Incarceration

Cuyahoga County Progressive Caucus (CCPC)

Refuse Fascism Ohio

Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ NEO) Northeast Ohio Chapter

Survivors/Victims of Tragedy, Inc.

Tamir E. Rice Foundation

Important links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JailCoalition/

Website: bit.ly/jailco

Petition: https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/jail-coalition