Lawsuit filed by jailers against Dept. of Corrections wants contract negotiations and reimbursements
FRANKFORT, Ky. (WTVQ) — “Legislature, if you want a justice system that works, then you’re going to have to pay for it, and these can no longer be profit centers,” says Ray Sabatini, a former jailer in Fayette County.
Back in January, a lawsuit against the Department of Corrections was filed by the Kentucky Jailer’s Association alongside four jailers, from Boyd, Campbell, Kenton and Marion Counties, claiming Kentucky counties have been taking the brunt of costs when it comes to housing, feeding and providing medical and psychiatric care for state inmates.
“The Department of Corrections is a reflection of how the legislature determines how many prison beds they need and how many they have and how many they need in the future,” said Sabatini.
Adding that issues with DOC are nothing new, especially when it came to making changes when he was jailer.
“The county jails have been taking a beaten for a long time and it’s about time for them to stand up and say, no more. You have changes in the law that nobody can anticipate that have a significant impact on the number of jail beds that you’re going to need in the future,” he adds.
He says moving forward, all parties need to work together to make sure the justice system works properly.
“We have a responsibility to return people to our own communities, and if we don’t abide by that, what you’re going to do is turn people out that are worse than when they came in.”
Jim Daley the jailer at Campbell County and president of the Kentucky Jailer’s Association could not go on camera to comment on the lawsuit due to legal matters, but did say the purpose of the lawsuit is for a compromise, to make sure every party involved is on the same page.
“What they’re trying to do with their litigation is to bring attention to that divide between what should be and what the legislature is willing to fund,” adds Sabatini.
The full lawsuit is below.
