This is The Marshall Project - Cleveland’s newsletter, a twice monthly digest of criminal justice news from around Ohio gathered by our staff of local journalists. Want this delivered to your inbox? Sign up for future newsletters.
What Happens When Someone Dies Inside One of America’s Worst Jails?
The Marshall Project - Cleveland has broken down the steps that local, state and federal governments are supposed to take when someone dies in jail custody and what records are available to anyone seeking answers.
The Cuyahoga County jail has been called one of America’s worst. The nickname came after an investigation by the U.S. Marshals Service following a rash of deaths in 2018.
In all, 24 people have died in the jail since 2018, leaving many families with unanswered questions. These deaths have also shaken public trust and led to lawsuits and investigations on the state and national levels that, to this day, identify ongoing concerns over systemic failures.
So, what’s supposed to happen when a person dies inside the jail? Read our explainer on what government agencies are required to do when a person dies in jail custody and how you can use public records to better understand the system.
– Brittany Hailer
The Marshall Project unveils “Immigration Nation” newsletter
This week, The Marshall Project launches Immigration Nation, a limited-run newsletter where criminal justice journalists unpack the intersection of these powerful systems and their impact on communities.
The free newsletter is designed to help readers navigate the Trump administration's efforts to leverage local and state criminal justice systems to fuel targeted deportations and highlight the impact it is having on people and communities across the country.
Sign up now to get the first edition that will arrive via email July 25.
City Club forum to feature Marshall Project staff
The City Club of Cleveland is hosting a forum featuring staff from The Marshall Project who will discuss how the non-profit news organization is changing the way media cover criminal justice on the local level.
Marlon A. Walker, The Marshall Project’s managing editor of local, Phil Trexler, editor-in-chief of the Cleveland newsroom, and investigative reporter Mark Puente, will lead the talk and discuss the work being done on the local level. The Marshall Project now operates local newsrooms in Cleveland, Jackson, Mississippi and St. Louis.
The Aug. 7 forum at the City Club coincides with the National Association of Black Journalists convention being held that week in Cleveland. The NABJ event is expected to draw thousands of journalists from across the country as the group marks its 50th anniversary.
The City Club of Cleveland is located at 1317 Euclid Ave. in Playhouse Square. Doors open at 11:15 a.m., followed by lunch. The panel discussion begins at noon. Click here to purchase tickets or contact Stacy Roper at 216-621-0082.
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Around the 216
- A Lorain County Jail correctional officer has been indicted on felony assault and other charges for injuries suffered by a handcuffed man over two years ago. News 5 Cleveland
- A Sandusky County judge is accused of sexual misconduct after an investigation by the Ohio Disciplinary Counsel. Common Pleas Judge Jon Ickes is accused of making crude sexual jokes and comments toward staff. WTOL.com
- The Montgomery County Public Defender’s Office has filed a class action lawsuit in U.S. District Court, contending pay disparities between its staff and the higher-paid county prosecutor’s office violate state law. Dayton Daily News
