Sheriff Sues over Richmond, Virginia Jail

Richmond Sheriff Michelle B. Mitchell has filed suit with the city, demanding a new City Jail or the correction of the inadequacies of the current one. Filed in Circuit Court, Mitchell's suit invoked state laws that require the city to provide a jail that is secure, in good repair and "otherwise adequate."

The jail, which opened in 1964, has a capacity of 629 inmates. Mitchell's suit claims that the daily inmate population exceeds 1,500; most inmates live in open dormitories with 50 to 60 cots and "when disturbances occur, the dormitories are so crowded that deputies may not enter the facilities until a large show of force is available." In addition, the suit claims, "the population is so large that feeding of inmates must begin at 4 a.m. and continues virtually all day."

"Further, the jail is so crowded that it presents a risk of contagious disease spreading through the inmate population," the suit alleges. "The jail was not designed to deal with a population containing many intravenous drug users who present unique health problems. For instance, the jail has a large population of inmates who are HIV positive."

The safety of the jail is the subject of another lawsuit this week by Richmond Circuit Court judges. They contend that the building is "insecure or out of repair or otherwise insufficient." The building has been shown to contain asbestos, crumbling ceilings, odors and mechanical and electrical breakdowns.

The City Council met yesterday but took no action. The council and Mitchell have engaged in charges and counter-charges stemming from Mitchell's suit and claims by council that Mitchell took $28,000 for unused 1994 vacation time without authority. Mitchell suggested earlier that her threat of a lawsuit over the jail was responsible for the council's position. Mitchell is running for re-election in November. Earlier, when she threatened to sue the city over conditions at the jail, she insisted her action had nothing to do with politics.

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