The Allegheny County Jail was on a full-facility lockdown for the entire month of June, jail officials said at an oversight board meeting on Thursday. But some board members and critics worry the lockdown may have violated a referendum on the use of solitary confinement approved by voters last year.
About half of the jail was placed onmodified lockdown in May after COVID-19 cases began to rise in the facility. At the time, the jail reported 91 incarcerated people and 28 staff tested positive for COVID-19.
Warden Orlando Harper told the board a full lockdown was necessary to bring down the number of COVID cases.
In June, 24 incarcerated peopletested positive for COVID-19. By June 30, there were no positive cases of COVID among incarcerated people.
During the lockdown, 1,526 people housed in the facility received limited time outside of their cells.
Some, including Allegheny County Councilor Bethany Hallam, who serves on the jail's oversight board, said this could have violated a 2021 referendum meant to end the use of solitary confinement at the jail. The referendum was also meant to ensure that people get at least four hours of recreation time each day.
“I firmly believe that the jail is not in compliance with the referendum and its reporting mechanism,” Hallam said at the meeting.
Harper maintains that the jail is in compliance with the referendum.
The referendum does allow some exceptions for the use of solitary confinement. If a medical professional deems a person’s confinement to be necessary “for medical reasons or to ensure the safety of others,” they can be held in solitary confinement for up to 24 hours.
The warden can also place the jail on lockdown if it’s “required to ensure the safety of persons held in the facility,” though the warden is required to give a reason why the lockdown must last more than 24 hours and why less restrictive measures can’t accomplish the same goal.
In theJune solitary confinement report to the oversight board, the reason for the lockdown was given as “medical.”
Due to the declining case load and in consultation with Allegheny Health Network and the Allegheny County Health Department, Allegheny County Jail lifted its mask mandate for employees and incarcerated people at the end of June.
Harper said the jail is now providing split recreation for incarcerated people. If case numbers remain low, they will move to full recreation.
The oversight board also passed a motion that some hope will increase transparency about the meals served to incarcerated people and improveongoing food quality issues at the jail.
The board previously rejected the motion, but a modified version passed six to one with one abstention on Thursday. Jail administrators will be required to notify the oversight board once a month when the food served to incarcerated people deviates from the posted menu.
Speakers during the public comment portion of the meeting voiced concerns about food quality and kitchen sanitation, short staffing, and the quality of medical care at the jail.
Judge Beth Lazzara, who sits on the oversight board, asked Harper to bring data about the number of people who requested mental health services, the average wait time for services, and other information to future meetings.
