During the heat wave late last month, a Cleveland Public Power substation fire caused a power outage in much of downtown Cleveland, including at the Cuyahoga County Jail.
State of play: The county has downplayed the effects of the outage — only one officer and no incarcerated people were hospitalized for heat-related illness, The Marshall Project reports.
- But those inside experienced dangerous conditions, medical emergencies and administrative delays due to the lack of air conditioning and resulting staffing shortages.
Zoom in: Those released after the outage said the phones often did not work, court proceedings were canceled or postponed and movement inside the facility was restricted due to officer call-offs.
By the numbers: Per the Ohio Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association, nearly one in seven union correctional officers called off…