County Fined, But Judge Finds Jail Improved

A federal judge has fined Ada County $1,000 for failing to turn over staffing records in a class-action lawsuit over the jail.

But U.S. District Judge Edward Lodge decided Ada County already is addressing most of the rights of inmates.

The fine is part of a ruling that caps five years of legal wrangling over inmates’ constitutional rights to an uncrowded jail with proper health care and other services.

The judge’s report held few surprises, aside from the $1,000 fine.

Lodge upheld all recommendations in March by U.S. Magistrate Mikel Williams. The fine was imposed because jail officials failed to provide Idaho Legal Aid attorneys with records on staffing levels.

“It was a good faith, human error,” Ada County Sheriff Vaughn Killeen said. The records may have been lost in the shuffle, he said.

Idaho Legal Aid director Howard Belodoff replied jail officers falsely claimed they could not turn over the documents because they were routinely destroyed each day.

Legal Aid filed the class-action lawsuit in 1991 to challenge crowding in the jail. At that time, the jail had about 139 beds. Last year, it added 353 beds.

The lawsuit’s focus shifted to health care. The jail since has increased its nursing staff from two nurses to five, and added other medical personnel.