A potential clash looms between the Cuyahoga County Jail and the City of Cleveland over the detention of suspects who haven't been formally charged. The County plans to stop housing these individuals, sparking fears of increased crime and outrage among victims.
CLEVELAND , Ohio - Shock and outrage from some victims of crime as the Cuyahoga County Jail could soon refuse suspects arrested in Cleveland until they’re formally charged by the prosecutor. The State of Ohio allows law enforcement agencies to detain or hold a suspect for up to 48 hours without pressing criminal charges. Sanders was just released from prison less than a year ago for committing another violent crime against Pruitt, a mother to five children.
“You are basically going to let the person back out on the streets to do it all over again. To hurt somebody else,” said Geiger. The City of Cleveland says releasing people considered dangerous back onto the streets is a bad and dangerous precedent that puts an entire community’s safety at risk. A legal tug of war that leaves victims outraged and stuck in the middle. On February 19, Cuyahoga County leaders sent a letter to the City of Cleveland. The County informed the city that in 30 days they will no longer accept arrestees as prisoners at the jail if prosecutors have not decided what to formally charge them with. Attorney Mark Griffin is Cleveland’s Law-Director, who has now issued a nine-page response to the county, that has to be discussed and a new agreement reached before a major change like this could happen. “There are some cases where you can do that but it could be a homicide or domestic violence case where the victim is hospitalized, traumatized or sometimes dead, and we can’t get their statements -- so we need that extra time,” said Griffin. However, according to Cuyahoga County leaders who just issued a statement to 19 News on Saturday, the arrested but uncharged issue has been an ongoing problem. The City of Cleveland has within its own power the ability to ensure dangerous criminals are arrested, detained, and charged. Cleveland is the only municipality in Cuyahoga County that routinely brings uncharged individuals to the Cuyahoga County Corrections Center for booking and housing. No other municipal department, including the Sheriff’s Department, maintains a policy and regular practice of uncharged arrests to our knowledge. In 2023, Corrections Center data reveals Cleveland Division of Police brought 3,430 uncharged individuals to the jail. Of that number, 1,118 of those individuals were later released with no formal charges. The County has long ago proposed a reasonable solution to this problem: Central Booking, whereby Cleveland arrestees are charged before they are brought to the Corrections Center. For years, the County has attempted to work with the City of Cleveland to implement Central Booking and the City has, thus far, refused to adopt this simple option. Cuyahoga County will continue to work with the City of Cleveland to encourage it to streamline the booking and processing of inmates through a countywide centralized booking protocol for the betterment of the entire community. Also at issue, there is currently nowhere else to hold criminal suspects, and if they’re put back on the streets victim’s families could feel victimized all over again. “Here’s the danger if the county refuses an arrestee, a dangerous felon -- and they go out and commit a crime because they’ve violated the law -- that’s going to be a problem for our citizens, but also a problem for the county,” Law Director Griffin said. According to the jail contract between the county and the city, there has to be at least a 30-day period of discussion, mediation, as well as arbitration before a major change in policy. The city of Cleveland’s Law Director wants Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne to know the city is willing to work with the county to figure out the jail issue, to ensure safety for everyone.
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