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JAIL THEM NOW AGO urges court to lift stay of punishment on 31 offenders
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Posted on Aug 10 1999
The Attorney General’s Office is asking the Superior Court to lift the suspension of punishment on 31 minor offenders, who have been allowed to stay out of jail pending resolution of the Public Defender Office’s complaint about the poor condition in the Susupe corrections.
Asst. Atty. Gen. Barry Hirshbein, counsel for the Department of Public Safety, said the convicted defendants should now be made to serve their sentences “on an orderly basis.”
“It is submitted that there are no defects that pose a significant risk of injury or death that must be corrected prior to incarceration of these convicted defendants,” Hirshbein stated in a motion, which is scheduled to be heard by the court tomorrow.
Superior Court Associate Judge Timothy Bellas, upon request by the Public Defender’s Office, has stayed the execution of sentence for the defendants pending his ruling on the jail case.
Hirshbein said most of the defendants were convicted of DUI offenses and are facing a maximum of three days’ detention.
Hirshbein said these convicted defendants are facing no risk of injury inside the jail since, as mere DUI offenders, they will not be housed in the cell block area which is currently under construction.
DUI offenders are assigned at the half-way house, Hirshbein said.
Hirshbein said repair and upgrading work at the Division of Corrections started on Aug. 2.
Once completed, Hirshbein said, DOC will be in substantial compliance with the Consent Decree signed between the local and federal government early this year.
The new minimum security facility is under construction and expected to be completed by January 2000, Hirshbein said.
The central male detention building, which was gutted by fire during the March riot, will be renovated.
Work on this building is expected to be completed by October, but the entire project will be completed by Jan. 28, 2000, Hirshbein said.
“This plan allows work to be done with requiring civilian contractor to interact with inmates. This eliminates security concern,” Hirshbein said.
“The repairs will remedy all items noted by the court in its list of observed deficiencies as well as those raised by Consent Decree,” Hirshbein added. (MCM)
