PORTSMOUTH, Va. — People who work inside the Hampton Roads Regional Jail are challenging a Department of Justice report that said the facility and its staff violated the constitutional rights of inmates.
Master Jail Officer Tearsha Jones, who's worked at HRRJ for 13 years, told 13News Now she disagrees with findings in the report which states jail conditions put inmates at an unacceptable risk of harm.
“It hurts a lot because I don’t feel that they (don’t) know what we go through in here, and it’s a lot of officers that come in here, and when I say they bust their tail, they bust their tail,” said Jones.
Jones said that officers do their rounds, check on inmates, and make sure they have what they need.
“I just feel like people misunderstand jail and mental health hospitals,” said Jones. “This is a jail.”
HRRJ has the largest mentally ill inmate population in Virginia. The DOJ report said jails from Chesapeake, Hampton, Norfolk, Newport News, and Portsmouth send an increasing number of mentally or physically ill inmates to Hampton Roads Regional Jail.
Sgt. Tamara Everette said the situation presents a challenge when providing care.
“You’re limited in some of the things that you can do because with some of the mental health, the jail isn’t where they’re supposed to be,” said Everette.
HRRJ staff members introduced 13News Now to inmate Ernest Sawyer, who is serving time for a drug violation. He said in the 11 months he's been at the jail, he's seen inmates commit suicide.
“When someone really wants to go, they’re not going to do it in front of the officer,” explained Sawyer. “The officer will make a round, and then, as soon as they leave, if you're trying to do it, you’ll do it when the officer is gone.”
The DOJ alleges the jail acts with deliberate indifference when it comes to prisoner health and safety. The report says 35 percent of mentally ill inmates are placed in solitary confinement for at least 30 days.
Everette said some inmates prefer solitary confinement and refuse to leave it.
“They have been given the opportunity to come out and mix in general population, but some of them, they just don’t fare well in general population,” Everette said.
Superintendent David Hackworth, who assumed leadership at the jail after the DOJ conducted its investigation, is the third superintendent in 18 months. He told 13News Now he’s determined to bring changes.
When asked if the report was a wake-up call, Hackworth said, “I think this report is a tool for me…let’s review things. Let’s get things, and let's do them better.”
The report said the jail failed to take prisoner requests for treatment seriously and often ignored them. It lists more than 30 cases in which prisoners were mistreated poorly or fatally.
From January 1, 2014 through present day, there have been 23 custody deaths within HRRJ. Four of deaths were suicides.
“I don’t know that there’s a clear cut answer to say why does this facility keeps having deaths…we’re dealing with a very challenging population,” Hackworth said.
The superintendent told 13News Now he intends to work closely and directly with inmates and his staff.
“I think my commitment to them was: ‘I’m going to stick with you. You stick with me, and we’re going to sail this ship into hopefully calmer waters,’” explained Hackworth.
Hackworth said HRRJ had its first face-to-face discussion with the DOJ in the past week and will continue to work with the DOJ in the foreseeable future.