Friday, October 3, 2014

Grand jury slams Sheriff

The Grand Jury issued a report on the Hinds County Jail yesterday. There is no way to sugarcoat it: the grand jury said Hinds County Sheriff Tyrone Lewis was "incompetent" in running the jail.  The brief report is posted below.  However, there is one very curious statement made by the grand jury.


The grand jury states the report is based on an inspection of the jail located in the first judicial district of Hinds County.  That would be the downtown jail as Raymond is in the second judicial district.  Weird. 


33 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wonder who SO1 will be January 1, 2016.

Anonymous said...

Why does this surprise anyone? Incompetence is Tyrone's greatest assets. In fact, he has displayed incompetence for so long that he should be given an award for it.

Anonymous said...

So does this mean "Sheriff" Tomie Green is taking over the jail. God help us all.

Anonymous said...

The only facility that has an elevator is the downtown jail.

Anonymous said...

The elevator has an odor and the there are some tiles in the shower with mildew. No doubt about it Tyrone has got to go. Inmates can put up with a whole lotta abuse but mildew and odors is where we've got to draw the line.

ROFLMAO Get real.

Anonymous said...

Does Judge Green realize that she just provided proof of liability for every lawsuit filed against Hinds County?

Anonymous said...

Just to point out that the law requires that the Grand Jury tour the jail, and report back to the presiding judge. This visit was probably routine, rather than something ordered by Judge Green. What shouldn't be routine are the poor conditions and mismanagement.

Anonymous said...


Hinds County ... A World of Difference!

Anonymous said...

The grand jury was called by the Hinds County District Atty. Robert S Smith, not Judge Tommie Green. Check your facts.











Anonymous said...


How dare a detainee whip out their schlong and show it off while Tomie's show ponies were in the building.

Anonymous said...

4:59 allow me to attempt to cure your woeful ignorance. The Grand Jury are nobody's "show ponies". They are a group of 20 registered voters who got a jury summons. They reported and wound up on the Grand Jury rather than a panel for a trial. The Grand Jury has a number of duties under statutes passed by the Legislature, the primary one being to decide which criminal cases should be indicted and also to identify those in which there is no probable cause. One of the secondary duties is to inspect all jails to make certain prisoners are being adequately tended to. In other words, to root out situations such as this as our inept sheriff cannot operate either jail entrusted to him. This is the result of him firing all of the qualified jail administrators when he took office and filling their positions with former disc jockeys, taxi drivers, and political supporter, none of whom know anything about corrections or jail administration.

You own an apology to 20 people who, no doubt, would rather not have drawn this assignment.

Before you attempt to be cute, next time, you might wait for a topic of which you have some knowledge, like chewing and walking at the same time.

Anonymous said...

5:50

If your post is an attempted cure, then the disease is surely better.

Before you attempt to condescend preach of the ignorance of another, I'd suggest you not try so hard to seem informed, and instead, get informed.

Anonymous said...

The current Sheriff is only finishing his THIRD year. I'm sure he will blame the former Sheriff.

Anonymous said...

5:50 I wouldn't have thought anybody could be more ignorant than 4:49, but you have thoroughly erased that notion. My post at 5:50 is based on 35 years experience as both a prosecutor and defense attorney in Circuit Courts all over this state. So fuck off.

Anonymous said...

6:23 pm I suspect you are the one who always accuses others of preaching or pontificating.

Please point out in 5:50pm's post where they are "uninformed" and explain why calling a grand jury, any grand jury, " dog and pony show"(name calling like a 5 year old) isn't ignorant.

Corporal Blue said...

The current sheriff is a home-boy for the hoods. Show dog who speaks broken English and thinks he's a movie star. Ghostbusters reject.

Tom Allen for Sheriff. I'll sell you the car, I'll finance it, I'll reposess that muthah when you miss a payment, I'll lock YO ass up and I'll keep YO ass in line til I letchu out!

Anonymous said...

I have a couple of questions.
Did these problems ( or similar ones) not exist before the current Sheriff took office?

Are there adequate funds to repair and replace in the current budget?

Where would the prisoners be housed while repairs are taking place as some of what is described can be caused by structural issues, particularly mold, mildew and odors.

Why are the windows glass not protected by mesh or else a plastic product ? Isn't that a construction issue?

Are the lights out because of an electrical problem or was the jail constructed so inmates can easily break lights or are the bulbs just not being replaced?

I'm not sure as written, this indicts any single Sheriff ([past or present) but rather sounds like an old building that wasn't well planned or constructed for it's purpose and is impossible to maintain at this point.

Having not been jailed or ever had reason to see the jail, I don't know.

I do , however, know a bit about the problems one encounters in old buildings including that getting rid of odors often means removing building materials which have absorbed the odor and that mold and mildew often comes from water damage and that the original sealants and coatings have worn away over time. Cleaning, even daily, doesn't fix that.



Anonymous said...

It seems irresponsible for a group of civilians to be able to evaluate a jail. Makes about a much sense as having them inspect a hospital Operating Room for proper use of sterile procedures. They-don't-have-a-clue! A group of commissioned officers should do the inspection.

Anonymous said...

Clorox can cure anything!! I wonder if Graham and Stokes can be connected to any of the problems?

Ben Dover said...

7:02 AM
It's not about "Did these problems ( or similar ones) not exist before the current Sheriff took office?"
It's about a guy who promised to fix everything that was wrong if elected.

Anonymous said...

HEY October 3, 2014 at 5:50 PM..........
The former Disc Jockey was a McMillian hire, or were there others?

Anonymous said...

Ben Dover, you can't be serious?

Did you just fall off the turnip truck?

Anonymous said...

10:12
Seems as if the remark was quite clear, and it's a tater truck, not dump truck. If you're going to be sarcastic, at least git it right.

Anonymous said...

The problems with the jail can be blamed in large part to former Hinds County Supervisor Benny Thompson. He is largely responsible for it being built in Raymond rather than Jackson, and for lobbying for the hire of unqualified minority engineer and design folks out of Chicago and elsewhere. The contractor, who built according to design specs given by those people, settled with the county years ago for its issues. The design folks went out of business before the jail was finished.

Anonymous said...

The report is a joke, the grand jury issuing the report is a joke, Robert Smith is a joke, Tomie Green is the ultimate joke.

Lewis is up for re-election next year and the voters will decide whether or not to return him to office. He'll still be in charge of jail until then.

Anonymous said...

@ 9:04 who said:

5:50 I wouldn't have thought anybody could be more ignorant than 4:49, but you have thoroughly erased that notion. My post at 5:50 is based on 35 years experience as both a prosecutor and defense attorney in Circuit Courts all over this state. So fuck off.
- - -
Are you talking to yourself?

You owe an apology to those who you supposedly prosecuted and/or defended (likely the same, if true).

Calling yourself more ignorant than the person you were addressing serves only to enlighten just how crappy our criminal justice system is, if you are representative of the prosectors/defenders.

Anonymous said...

The problems with the jail can be blamed in large part to former Hinds County Supervisor Benny Thompson. He is largely responsible for it being built in Raymond rather than Jackson, and for lobbying for the hire of unqualified minority engineer and design folks out of Chicago and elsewhere.

FTW

Anonymous said...

11:38 am You must not have been a fan of Johnny Carson who popularized the phrase " just fell off the turnip truck" to describe someone who is gullible or naïve.

If Ben Dover takes candidates' , any candidates', campaign pledges " to fix problems" so literally as to mean 1) all problems and 2)to completely solve all problems within his or her time of office, he is indeed naïve.

If the Sheriff did promise to " fix problems at the jail" and didn't put " need to" or " try" in his sentence, reasonable people will still infer that means he recognizes problems exists, and intends to try to find a solution.

And, those who are not "ignorant" about the jail in question, know it was not deemed operational before the first inmate was ever housed there! It's not just horribly designed, it's poor materials and construction as well!

It's probably a credit to the Sheriff that the kitchen and laundry are still functioning!

And, 5:50 pm yesterday is absolutely correct. Any adult who doesn't know how a grand jury operates is indeed woefully ignorant.

He didn't call you " stupid". He called you" ignorant". Please look up the difference between the words.

The only issue in this report that is obviously within the control of the Sheriff is the number of guards and even then you have to look the budget and the Board of Supervisors.

And, the only issue with the grand jury I might have is how much help Mr. Smith gave them in providing all the information they needed to make a good decision. You can't expect a grand jury to ask information they don't know might exist or be relevant! All the documents about the jail's construction and design problems should have been given to the grand jury so when they saw mildew or mold or smelled odors, they'd understand how those problems are directly related of the design and construction!




Anonymous said...

Yes 5:32, we all know about the turnip truck. But it's just fun to screw around with internet trolls, which clearly you have shown yourself to be. Everybody is wrong except for the troll.

By the way, if I were to happen to arrive on a turnip truck, I would be driving it.....not riding on the tailgate giving directions from the rear, as you do.

Anonymous said...

Wow Tyrone guess you and Lee King can bring back "Black Gold" when you lose the election next year...you can be a co-host since you always want your picture taken and to be on TV.

Anonymous said...

JUST TO BE FAIR:

Miss. Code Ann. § 19-25-69

MISSISSIPPI CODE of 1972

*** Current through the 2014 Regular Session and 1st and 2nd Extraordinary Sessions ***

TITLE 19.  COUNTIES AND COUNTY OFFICERS  
CHAPTER 25.  SHERIFFS

Miss. Code Ann. § 19-25-69  (2014)

§ 19-25-69. Sheriff to have charge of courthouse, jail and protection of prisoners


   The sheriff shall have charge of the courthouse and jail of his county, of the premises belonging thereto, and of the prisoners in said jail. He shall preserve the said premises and prisoners from mob violence, from any injuries or attacks by mobs or otherwise, and from trespasses and intruders. He shall keep the courthouse, jail, and premises belonging thereto, in a clean and comfortable condition, and it shall be his duty to prosecute all persons who are guilty of injuring or defacing same. If, after a hearing by the Governor, held in accordance with due process of law, it shall be ascertained that the sheriff has wilfully failed, neglected or refused to preserve the courthouse, or the jail, or any prisoners lawfully in his custody from injuries by mob violence, then the Governor shall have the power and it shall be his duty to remove such sheriff from office.
 
   However, in the case of a jail owned jointly by a county and municipality, under the provisions of Section 17-5-1, Mississippi Code of 1972, after the appointment of a jailer, pursuant to Section 47-1-49, Mississippi Code of 1972, responsible for all municipal prisoners lodged in said jail, neither the sheriff nor his bondsmen shall be responsible for actual maintenance or operation of said jail, insofar as municipal prisoners are concerned.

HISTORY: SOURCES: Codes, 1857, ch. 6, art 136; 1871, § 242; 1880, § 342; 1892, § 4132; 1906, § 4684; Hemingway's 1917, § 3101; 1930, § 3331; 1942, § 4256; Laws, 1966, ch. 369, § 1, eff from and after passage (approved May 6, 1966).

Anonymous said...

9:25 pm If being a responsible citizen concerned about what now passes as political dialogue makes me a troll, then I am.

But, it seems to me the condition of the jail is a real and serious problem that doesn't benefit from the nonsense distractions of snide remarks and personal attacks made by some of the bloggers who imagine themselves witty.
Nor do I like that rather than problem solving, every problem is reduced to political gamesmanship.
I frankly think we owe it to those dying for our freedom to be more responsible as citizens and to get to the facts and make their home front better!



Anonymous said...

Pretty sure those complaints about a lack of guards with poor training and less-than-ideal salaries don't fall under the sheriff's responsibilities.

Those are budget-related issues, and the Hinds County Board of Supervisors controls that. Maybe that's why Stokes introduced an emergency item Monday to take candidates for the jail management job?



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