My Night in Cuyahoga County Jail

I was in jail last night, but don’t worry, it was voluntary. It was just part of the comprehensive research I’m doing into every aspect of the current Cuyahoga County government.

From my perspective, the Cuyahoga County executive position requires a lot of homework. And what I’ve learned over the past 40 years of successful business turnarounds is that you have to get the facts before you can come up with any plan. You have to look under the hood, see how the engine’s running, determine what’s working and what’s not, and what tools are required to fix it. 

As part of my homework, I've already been to more than three dozen Cuyahoga County departments and divisions, and I’m just warming up. I’ll get to all of them before Election Day in November.

So yesterday evening I spent a full shift at the Cuyahoga County Corrections Center (CCCC) in the downtown Cleveland Justice Center. I was able to make arrangements through the Sheriff’s Department last week, and I want to thank Sheriff Bob Reid and the CCCC staff for their courtesy and help.

The CCCC is a unique place. On any given day it houses more than 2,000 inmates (2,101 last night), plus a corrections staff of more than 600 that handles management and security duties, provides health and other critical services, and serves up more than 6,000 meals a day (last night was Sloppy Joes, rice and cole slaw, and it wasn’t too bad). The CCCC costs taxpayers about a million dollars a week.

When you walk in to the jail and they close that door behind you, you can’t help but feel the weight of the world on your shoulders. It’s an intimidating and strange place. There are almost no windows and you easily lose your sense of time - whether it’s Noon or midnight, it’s always the same in jail.

But I don’t have to tell you that it’s a necessary place. And most importantly, we have to make sure it’s safe and secure, and that it’s managed diligently and efficiently, and yes, with the upmost consideration for those that are incarcerated. (The average pre-trial Inmate spends about one month in the CCCC, and the average sentenced misdemeanor is there for about four months.)

I can’t say I enjoyed my visit, but I do want to thank my escorts, Sgt. O’Donnell and Sgt. Kelly. I learned a lot in eight hours at CCCC because everyone has a story to tell. But the most important thing I learned is that when you see it up close and personal, you realize that managing a 24/7 high-security, high-maintenance operation like this is a monumental task, costing tax payers about one million dollars a week. That kind of investment in keeping our streets safe requires close attention and a good understanding of how that department works, and last night was a really good start.

Stay tuned for my next blog about the ride I took in a squad car through the downtown entertainment districts.

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