Numerous Lawsuits May Lead to Construction of New County Jail

Inmates at the Sullivan County jail have sued Sheriff Mike Gardner for everything from mistreating mentally ill prisoners to serving chicken on Thursdays.

As ridiculous as that sounds, the suits may have an impact. Ever since the county jail failed to meet minimum state standards last July, each new suit over the facility’s conditions pushes the county closer to a federal court order mandating construction of a new jail.

A county grand jury has already told county commissioners to upgrade the 30-year-old jail before a federal judge forces construction of a new and more expensive facility.

“It is hard to go to federal court now and say we meet all the minimum standards because we don’t,” said Gardner, who has been sued more than 100 times by prisoners during his tenure, mostly over conditions at the jail.

The county’s jail committee, headed by Commissioner Raymond Morrell of Bristol, is nearing completion of a jail renovation proposal which is expected to cost approximately $4 million

Since Gardner took office more than eight years ago, the county jail has become known as a training ground for aspiring jailhouse lawyers. Many complaints filed against the sheriff in federal court are hand-written and inmates usually act as their own attorneys. Many of the suits are dismissed when the inmates are released from jail

Gardner generally does not have to appear in federal court to respond to the suits because the complaints are dismissed upon a motion of the sheriff’s defense counsel — the Kingsport law firm of Hunter, Smith and Davis.

“The ironic part of it is I have to file an answer to each suit within 20 day which means my insurance company has to pay legal fees,” Gardner said. “”] may go three or four months and not get a lawsuit and then when one of these jail house lawyers hits, there will be one in the mail every other day

Gardner said one inmate had a book called the “Jailhouse Lawyer’s Manual which contains pages of sample law“8

new county jail The county’s jail committee is nearing completion of a jail renovation proposal, which is expected to cost approximately $4 million.

“All you have to do is fill in the blanks with names,” the sheriff said That’s one method. Then we had one inmate who had been in the system so much, he was as well accomplished as some of your newly graduated law students.”

All three suspects in the murders of two county storekeepers last May have lawsuits pending in federal court against Gardner, claiming they were threatened with death and coerced into making false confessions to the murders during their arrest at a deserted house in Johnson County.

Samuel Edwin Allen, who is accused of wounding three people in a random shooting spree in Bristol. sued Gardner because the sheriff would not provide him with unlimited use of a telephone and access toa Bible

The sheriff said any restrictions imposed by the jail on the religious prac tices of inmates are “necessary to preserve order and discipline” in the jail

But most jail suits are like the one recently filed by former county jail inmate A.J. Southers, who claimed condi tions at the jail were “barbaric and inhu: mane.”

Southers, who now is serving two consecutive life terms at the Turney Corrections Center for burglary. safe cracking, grand larceny and being an habitual offender, said he was denied a proper diet and his medical needs were not met after he suffered a heart attack

He also told a federal judge windows were left open at the jail on winter nights. forcing prisoners to put blankets over the windows.

Other bad conditions at the jail, in mates say, include inadequate lighting, ventilation, floor space and sanitation.