CLEVELAND, Ohio – A new agreement to house Cleveland police arrestees in the Cuyahoga County jail would reduce the maximum detention time without charges to 12 hours for most suspects and require the use of Central Booking for the first time since its construction. But some still worry it doesn’t go far enough to prevent unnecessary detentions.
Under the current rules, when police drop off suspects without charges, the individuals can be dressed in orange jumpsuits and placed in a jail cell for up to 36 hours, only to be released later without ever being charged. That’s especially common for those booked after 4:30 p.m. or on weekends, when city prosecutor staff aren’t around to make charging decisions.
Those extended detention stays put individuals through unnecessary trauma and can cause job loss, housing instability, strained family relationships and childcare issues, critics have said in calling for faster release. Though, Ohio law stipulates individuals can be held for up to 48 hours without charges…