The Expansion of the Trumbull County Jail

Jena Kosinski
2 December 2013

Table of Contents
Abstract...page 3
Purpose and Need Statement.......page 3
Figure 1.1.....page 3
Problem...page 4
Implications.....page 4
Necessity.page 4
Solution...page 5
Project Objectivespage 5
Project Achievements..page 5
Personnel.page 6
Budget.page 6
Resources.page 7

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Abstract
The Trumbull County Jail overcrowds on an average of two times per year. To counteract the
effects of the overcrowding, specifically the effect of releasing prisoners on a summons, the
expansion of the current jail is necessary. The current capacity is 286 individuals, and the goal is
to increase the jail to hold 400 prisoners at any given time. The expansion is necessary to protect
the inmates, the staff of the jail, and the citizens of Trumbull County.
Purpose
To obtain the funds necessary for the expansion of the Trumbull County Jail.
Need
There is a need to increase the size of the Trumbull County Jail. This application focuses on the
priority of increasing the size of the current jail through an addition to the current building. The
addition will allow for the housing of more inmates at any given time, specifically during the
minimum of two times per year that overcrowding and turning away of inmates on summons to
appear in court occur.
According to Don Guarino, a Chief Deputy for the Trumbull County Jail, the overcrowding of
the jails occurs at a minimum of two times per year, and the occurrence is projected to only
become more frequent as crime rates in the area increase. As of August 22, 2013, the jail had
begun turning away non-violent prisoners due to the fact that the jail was holding three hundred
and ten prisoners, thirty-four more prisoners than the maximum capacity. Figure 1.1 illustrates
the fact that this problem is not a new problem and has been occurring frequently for decades.

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Figure 1.1 Prison Population and Design Capacity in America in the 1990s.
Problem
The Trumbull County Jail has a history of overcrowding. In the last decade, the jail has
overcrowded at least twice a year, and persons accused of non-violent crimes have been released
on summons to appear in court. According to The Vindicator, the jail can hold a maximum of
two hundred and seventy-six prisoners. As of August 22, 2013, the jail has held a maximum of
three hundred and ten prisoners. In the past, the jail has held up to three hundred and fifty
prisoners. With the rise of crime in Trumbull County, officers anticipate this problem to occur
more frequently throughout the year. At present, the overcrowding occurs about twice a year,
according to a statement from Chief Deputy Don Guarino in The Vindicator.
With the anticipation of increased crime occurrences in Trumbull county, the police force finds it
necessary to hold as many prisoners as possible; however, the police are severely limited as to
the number of prisoners the jail is capable of holding. The inability to hold as many prisoners as
possible during a time of increased crime is detrimental to the police goal of protecting the
citizens of Trumbull County.
Implications
The implications of allowing prisoners to be released on summons can be detrimental to the local
community. The suspects may flee prior to appearing in court for a hearing. The suspects may
have multiple non-violent offenses which precede the current offense for which he or she is
accused, and releasing the suspect on a summons could result in an immediate reoccurrence of
the crime being committed. The suspect may have been arrested for a non-violent crime and be
released on a summons only to commit a violent crime upon release.
The likelihood of immediate repeat or elevated offenses may be rare; however, releasing suspects
into the community may be dangerous for law-abiding members of the community. The goal of
the police force is to protect the community and releasing suspected criminals into a community
may be detrimental to that cause. The result of this may be increasing the number of officers
patrolling the county at any given time, a measure that would cost the cities, county, and the
citizens more money as more officers are needed to patrol and protect.
Why is it necessary?
According to the Bureau of Prisons (BOP), overcrowding of jails and prisons negatively affects
the inmates, staff, and infrastructure. The BOP projects that the systematic overcrowding of
prisons and jails will exceed 45 percent capacity by 2018. The safety of the prisoners and the
staff of the prisons will be in jeopardy as overcrowding increases. Double and triple bunking in
cells will increase, allowing for limited living space and potentially violent encounters within the
cells as the room to move becomes smaller to allow for more inmates within each cell.
Overcrowding is not just a problem for those who live within the prisons or jails, it is also a
problem for the individuals who work in them and must contain the inmates to ensure safety.

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According to Pew Research, the US Supreme Court ruled in May 2013 that the overcrowding of
prisons is cruel and unusual punishment. This obviously applies to prisoners who will remain in
prisons for an extended period of time, not jails which are meant to hold prisoners for a brief
amount of time until such time that they have been sentenced. However, punishing prisoners who
have yet to be sentenced for the crime(s) they have committed is also cruel and unusual
punishment which exists before the legal punishment is given. With overcrowding comes
violence among prisoners and an increase in disease, according to the US Government
Accountability Office and World Health Organization, respectively.
It is inhumane to house fellow human beings in such close proximity for any amount of time.
Humans need space to function, and confining more people to one area than it can safely allow
leads to increased tensions. These tensions can create a hostile environment which could lead to
violence among the prisoners. All citizens should feel obligated to keep the men and women in
the jails safe from harm because they are citizens of the United States of America and all are
innocent until proven guilty, whether they are in jail after being arrested for a crime or not.
However, keeping the potentially violent criminals in jail also serves to protect the law-abiding
citizens of the community by keeping these individuals off of the streets. Should criminals be
released on a summons simply because there is no room at the jail and those criminals commit
violent crimes, it is the fault of the jail system for not having the proper room to house inmates.

The Solution
The solution to the problem with jail overcrowding would be to expand the jail, allowing for
more room for prisoners. The facility temporarily holds individuals until they can appear in court
or when individuals have been sentenced to minimal stays within a prison facility. Should the
facility be capable of holding more than 286 prisoners, the staff, citizens of Trumbull County,
and the inmates will be safer.
It is recommended that the expansion of the jail happen as soon as possible. As it is the only
applicable solution, it would be best for the inmates, staff members, and citizens to have the
safety guaranteed by the expansion of the jail.
Project Objectives
The objectives of this project are as follows:
-

By the end of the project, the maximum capacity of the Trumbull County Jail will be 400
prisoners, an increase from the current maximum occupancy of 286 prisoners.

By the end of the project, the jail will have increased from 143 cells to 200 cells of 8 feet
by 8 feet equipped with two beds, one toilet, and one sink.

Project Achievements

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-

This project will achieve the expansion of the Trumbull County Jail. The maximum
occupancy of the jail will be increased so as to allow the holding of a larger population of
inmates as the rate of crime in the area is expected to increase. This project will also
allow for the renovation of the existing cells to allow for a more uniform appearance
throughout the jail. As part of the renovation, every cell will be 8 feet by 8 feet and
equipped with two beds, a toilet, and a sink.

The goals of this project are expected to be reached within eighteen months. Four
additional months will be given at the start of the project to allow the county officials to
decide on which company they would prefer to use in the renovation and expansion of
the jail. The total time would be twenty-two months barring unforeseen circumstances.

Personnel
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)

Thomas L. Altiere, Sheriff

Ernest G. Cook, III, Chief Deputy
Donald Guarino, Chief of Jail Operations
Major Thomas Stewart, Investigative/Detective Division
Major Harold Firster, Warrant/Civil & Security Division, Uniform/Road Division
Leslie Stredney, Personnel Director

The personnel involved in the expansion of the prison also includes county officials, the city
council members of Warren, OH where the jail is located, and the mayor of Warren.
Budget
1) $60,000 Beds, toilets, sinks.
2) $80,000 Plumbing supplies
3) $100,000 Building supplies such as brick and mortar.
4) $80,000 Tile for floors, roofing supplies.
5) $125,000 Labor.
Total: $445,000
The above totals are estimates based on data from November 2013. Any and all funds which may
be unused at the end of the project will be put toward the renovation of current cells.

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Resources
Biron, Carey L.. " IPS U.S. Prison Population Seeing Unprecedented Increase | Inter Press
Service." Inter Press Service | Journalism and Communication for Global Change. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 24 Sept. 2013. <http://www.ipsnews.net/2013/02/u-s-prison-population-seeingunprecedented-increase/>.
Caumont, Andrea. "Chart of the week: The problem of prison overcrowding | Pew Research
Center." Pew Research Center | Nonpartisan, non-advocacy public opinion polling and
demographic research. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Sept. 2013. <http://www.pewresearch.org/facttank/2013/08/02/chart-of-the-week-the-problem-of-prison-overcrowding/>.
"Prison overcrowding is a growing concern in the U.S. | Portland State University Online CCJ."
Online Criminology and Criminal Justice Degree | Portland State University. N.p., n.d.
Web. 24 Sept. 2013. <http://online.ccj.pdx.edu/ccj-careers-resources/criminal-justiceresources/news/prison-overcrowding-is-a-growing-concern-in-the-u-s-800675443/>.
"Youngstown News, Trumbull jail turns away suspects because of overcrowding." Youngstown
News, Vindy.com, Local News, Sports, Classifieds, Jobs, Cars, Homes - The Vindicator.
N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Sept. 2013. <http://www.vindy.com/news/2013/aug/22/trumbull-jailreported-overcrowded/>.