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WASHINGTON, D.C. -- A west Georgia jail that was found to have insufficient staffing, inadequate medical care, unsanitary kitchens, and unsafe physical facilities, has agreed to improve its conditions and operating procedures, under a settlement agreement reached today with the Justice Department.

The agreement, filed in U.S. District Court in Macon, resolves allegations that the Muscogee County Jail in Columbus, Georgia, exposed inmates to unsanitary, unhealthy, and unsafe conditions in violation of their constitutional rights. The Justice Department originally investigated the jail pursuant to the Civil Rights for Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA), which was enacted by Congress in 1980 to protect the rights of people housed in state and local government institutions, including jails. "I am pleased that the cooperative efforts of officials in Columbus have resulted in improved conditions at the jail," said Bill Lann Lee, Acting Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights. "Today's settlement will ensure that inmates will be housed in safe conditions and receive adequate medical care when needed."

The agreement requires the jail to begin implementing a jail construction and renovation program. The jail will also upgrade policies and procedures, improve training and staffing processes, improve medical care, develop suicide prevention programs, and upgrade fire safety preparedness.

Today's agreement is the result of extensive negotiations between county officials and the Justice Department.

Since 1980, the Justice Department has opened more than 300 investigations under CRIPA, and closed investigations involving more than 200 facilities. Of the total CRIPA investigations, more than 70 involve jails.

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