Grand Jury inspects the jail...again | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Publisher's Note: This article originally appeared in the Beaufort Observer.

    Grand Juries are required by General Statute to inspect the county jail one time each year. The Beaufort County Grand Jury did its duty according to their report dated June 23, 2014. Because of the issue of building a new jail, I have written about these reports during the past two years. In the past the Grand Jury did not see the same things I and others saw when we inspected the jail.

    Grand Juries by their nature rarely get to visit a crime scene or go outside their meeting room. They are somewhat at the mercy of their handlers, who, for the most part are the District Attorney and Sheriff's Department. They are a deliberative body. They take information and try to determine whether or not prosecution should proceed. Therefore, they are subject to evidence being both embellished and withheld. They, are allowed to use their common sense. Consequently they should always err on the side of, not "possible," but proven and probable guilt.

    Sol Wachter, quoted by Thomas Wolf in "The Bonfire of the Vanities" says "A grand jury would indict a ham sandwich if that is what you want." This is probably true. However, the purpose of the Grand Jury is to act as a buffer so that individuals in the fraternity of law enforcement, whether district attorneys, sheriffs or judges do not abuse their duties to the public.

    Several Beaufort County Grand Juries have simply taken what the Sheriff told them about the jail as truth and cranked out a vile sounding report of conditions in the jail. After all, why would you not believe the sheriff and his employees? They are the law enforcement in Beaufort County. During the past two years I have brought forth many situations and reasons why no one should accept anything the current sheriff or his deputies say about the jail. They have repeatedly distorted and falsified information about the jail. After all "are you going to believe the Sheriff or your lying eyes"?

    Some examples of their failure to do their sworn duty include, not having a tested safety back up for the electrical system in the jail, and failure to have repairs done. An example of distorting information is talk about mold in the jail when they refused to see that the jail was kept clean. There is the problem with the district attorney not trying cases in a timely manner. This caused overcrowding and denied prisoners a fair and speedy trial. It leads to a lot of plea bargaining. That is easy work if you are a judge, district attorney or defense lawyer.

    This year's report is a single page. Information and allegations made by the sheriff's department are not presented as fact but as unproven allegation. That is an improvement over past reports. It is obvious the grand jury was paying better attention this year. The sheriff's department has always taken the position "Are you going to believe me or your lying eyes." Looks like this Grand Jury used their common sense and their eyes this year.

    The jail was completely cleaned, painted, plumbing repaired and ventilation and electrical improved during the three months it was vacated last year. The jail has always been in compliance with the North Carolina regulatory rules for jails. The only time we have not been able to use the jail is when Sheriff Alan Jordan failed to perform his duties. Part of that duty was to insure the emergency electrical system was operating. Considering the A-One condition of the jail just nine month ago, the grand jury should not find any deficiencies in the jail. However, that did not stop the Sheriff and his minions from trying to make a case.

    We are printing the jail report with this article so you can decide for yourself just how good or bad conditions are in the jail. However, I will offer these comments on the report:

    The report talks about space issues and inmates sleeping on the floor. The Grand Jury should describe what the space issues are. There must not be any space deficiencies to be concerned about or the Grand Jury would have been specific. Prisoners in the dormitory have always slept on the floor----on a mattress. Bunks are not in the dormitory areas because they can be used as weapons and barricades. Mattresses on the floor provide comfort and are easily searched for contraband and cleaned. We want them to sleep on the floor. What is wrong with prisoners sleeping on a mattress on the floor?

    If there was a heat and humidity problem it was because of special arrangements made by the sheriff to make sure this is an issue. If this were an issue the state jail inspectors would have made it an issue long before now. The air conditioning system has been repaired and improved during the past year. The report talks about odor. Go into a brand spanking new jail in the summer and your likely detect foul odors. Know what I mean?

    There is the implication that officers need guns and tasers in the jail. Officers never carry guns or tasers in jails unless a riot is in progress and then only when accompanied by several other officers in a trained team. Allowing officers to carry guns and tasers around prisoners is an invitation to serious problems involving hostages being taken and the death of guards and prisoners.

    One concern in the report was about one employee handling phone calls, watching security cameras and having to leave the console to handle issues in offices in the facility. There are four guards assigned to each shift. Either Sheriff Jordan is not adequately staffing the jail or is there no shift management. This is pure baloney and if true the Sheriff is again not doing his job.

    Evidence of past flooding. The entire jail was painted last year. There should be no evidence of flooding. But guess what. The jail has never been flooded. Prisoners do deliberately stop up floor drains, commodes and sinks. They do that in new jails. This is entirely a cell by cell situation. Most of those problems have been resolved by not giving prisoners things they can use to stop up the plumbing. We use plumbing fixtures made for jail use. Every jail in the world has some of this kind of problem.

    Floors not clean? The entire jail was cleaned about nine months ago. If the jail is dirty it was either by design or those who are responsible for cleaning are not doing their job. Again it is the Sheriff's job to see that the place is clean.

    The nurse's station which is occupied about one hour each day has ventilation. It was probably turned off for the Grand Jury visit.

    If there are blind spots the Sheriff has the money and authority to install additional monitoring cameras. There is nothing wrong with inmates passing through halls used by the public. They are on public display in the court room.

    This report goes so far as to say: "We have concerns this environment may not be safe for them (the guards)." No jail is a safe place, all are full of accused criminals. No jail on the face of the earth is safe.

    And jails are not pleasant places. Think about it.

    This Grand Jury is to be commended for not buying hook, line and sinker the false claims of Sheriff Alan Jordan. They had their eves open. They did pay some lip service to the Sheriff and his officers, but they did not swear to his falsehoods.