A new Muskingum County Jail with better security is needed after inmates’ escape

Holly Sealover, April 2022 for JOUR 2311: Multiplatform Reporting

On Monday, three inmates escaped the Muskingum County Jail after overpowering a corrections officer.

Local officials are looking to build a new, more secure facility to better protect corrections officers and prevent future escapes.

The Muskingum County Jail is conveniently located in downtown Zanesville, next to the Muskingum County Courthouse. Photo taken by Holly Sealover.

Officer Safety

Early Monday morning, three inmates overpowered a corrections officer, stole his keys and escaped from the Muskingum County Jail. The three inmates were captured later the same day.

While the officer survived with minor injuries, it further amplified the need for a facility with stronger security.

Muskingum County Sheriff, Matt Lutz, said “With a new facility, it’s one level, and you're running that with cameras and doors instead of corrections officers. One officer can be in a secured room where the prisoners cannot get to him.”

The Muskingum County Jail was never intended to be the four-story jail it is today. According to Muskingum County Commissioner, Mollie Crooks, “One of four floors actually have cells, and were designed to be a jail, the rest of it was [an office space] that was later retrofitted for the jail population.”

Currently, corrections officers must physically escort inmates around the facility through the narrow hallways and on the elevator. The close contact between officers and inmates can be dangerous.

Living Conditions

Overcrowding is a major concern. Crooks, said “The current facility is authorized to hold 171 beds and sometimes they have well over 200 inmates.”

A former inmate, who wishes to remain anonymous due to outstanding warrants, stayed in the facility in November, said “There were like 55 of us in the dorm on the third floor. They had people in beds on the floor.”

With the facility already holding more inmates than intended, the COVID-19 pandemic produced more challenges for the Muskingum County Jail.

Most inmates are held in open, dorm-style rooms. With such close quarters, illness spreads fast. The limited number of cells available are often used to separate inmates when a floor experiences a COVID-19 outbreak.

There is not a dedicated infirmary. Instead, a nurse regularly visits the facility to examine inmates and determine whether medical treatment is needed. If necessary, inmates are sent to the hospital which causes delays in their medical care.

Additionally, there is no dedicated space for mental health or addiction treatment programs.

Failed Tax Levy

Lutz has been campaigning for a new jail for several years. In 2017, a property tax was proposed to fund the new facility. Ultimately, the tax levy was voted down.

Lutz believes the tax levy failed because some people thought it was unfair. He said it was asking a lot “to get our property owners to pay for something else.”

After reconsidering their plans for a new Muskingum County Jail, local officials are looking into a small sales tax increase.

When asked what the response to an increased sales tax would be, Crooks said “I think people get hung up when you just say taxes, saying ‘I don't want my taxes to go up.’ With a sales tax, your taxes aren't just going up. You only pay it if you buy something… it's spreading it across a broader population of people by doing a sales tax. If we all pay a little that's better than only some paying a lot.”

Feasibility

In February, a feasibility study on the Muskingum County Jail was proposed to the Board of Commissioners.

A feasibility study would consider many factors in building a new facility, such as the use of the current facility, number of inmates, length of stay, funding and space.

The results of the feasibility study would clarify exactly how much space is needed. Additionally, if the feasibility study shows significant need, the county is much more likely to receive grant money from the state.

The Muskingum County Board of Commissioners is in the process of reviewing proposals from different companies regarding the feasibility study. Once the board agrees on a proposal, the study will begin.

Upon completion of the study, Muskingum County will apply for grants based on its findings and the board of commissioners will decide on a location for the new jail, which has been a major topic of discussion. While many speculate the new facility will be downtown near the current jail, Lutz is skeptical.

Lutz said, “There's a lot of desire to have it downtown, close to the courthouse, which I support. But on the same token I'm against, because the parking issue downtown is just horrendous. And there’s just not enough room, in my opinion, to do what we should be doing with it.”

What’s Next?

After applying for grants and determining the location, the facility will need to be designed.

When asked what improvements he would like to see implemented in a new facility, Lutz suggested a system of security pods that would allow corrections officers to safely move inmates from different locations in the jail, remotely.

Lutz explained, “A guard is put in a security pod. They’re basically sat down in the middle of all the inmates. That guard has a 360 view of everything in that pod. The new style would have, for example, a virtual courtroom, office space, as well as recreation and medical, all in the same pod. So therefore, when a doctor came, or a nurse came, or an attorney came or somebody wanted to go to recreation, that one guard could control all the inmates in that pod and just push a button, have the inmate walk through and it's all secured… They're run with a corrections officer using cameras and doors to move inmates instead of a corrections officer [physically moving inmates].”

Lutz said community support will be a necessity. He believes a lot of people don’t fully understand the need for a new jail.

Lutz said, “We need better segregation for medical, mental illness and addiction. We need better segregation for holding inmates for short periods of time, separating inmates that are involved in the same cases in the same trials and just a bigger facility. But more importantly, a better designed and updated facility that our people can better operate out of.”