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Panel To Start Hillsborough Jail Review Monday

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By MIKE WELLS | The Tampa Tribune

Published: March 7, 2008

An independent review commission gets its first look Monday at the inner workings of Hillsborough County's jail system a month after a string of abuse complaints went public.

Sheriff David Gee created the commission last month after a surveillance video was broadcast showing former inmate Brian Sterner being dumped from a wheelchair by a detention deputy Jan. 29. Sterner, who is paralyzed from the chest down, was arrested on a traffic-related charge.

The group's first meeting, which is open to the public, is set for 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and will begin in the jail's assembly room, which is on the south side of the facility at the employee entrance.

After receiving an overview of the jail's operations from sheriff's staff, the commission will take a tour of Orient Road Jail, followed by a discussion about training, jail and medical accreditation, and public comments.

Gee created the commission to study policies, practices and procedures in Orient Road Jail and Falkenburg Road Jail. Gee asked for a preliminary report within 60 days and a final report within 180 days.

The sheriff picked James Sewell to lead the commission and gave him the authority to choose the other members. Sewell is the former assistant commissioner of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and a former regional director of the FDLE's Tampa Bay Regional Operations Center.

The commission members are respected professionals from outside the sheriff's office, said member Ray Velboom, a retired agent of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

"They are not going to hide anything," he said. The sheriff "could have done this with in-house people, [and that] would have had a taint to it."

Members will address patterns, customs and practices of conduct and discipline in the jails; policies and procedures that are in place or should be; management and supervisory oversight; and training and employee development.

In addition to Sewell and Velboom, the other commission members are:

Lorie Fridell, associate professor at the University of South Florida and a member of the American Civil Liberties Union.

Ned Hafner, director of corrections and jail services at the Florida Sheriffs Association and former director of corrections for the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office.

Al Higginbotham, Hillsborough County commissioner, District 4.

Retired FBI Agent Brian Kensel.

The Rev. Beverly Lane, of First Mount Carmel AME Church.

Clarence McKee, chief executive officer of McKee Communications.

Linda McKinnon, chief executive officer of Central Florida Behavioral Health Network.

Delia Aguirre Palermo, professor at St. Petersburg College.

Retired Florida Department of Law Enforcement Agent Raymond Velboom.

Retired Gen. Peter J. Schoomaker, former chief of staff of the Army.

In the Sterner case, the surveillance video went viral, spreading across the Internet. By the end of the week, detention Deputy Charlette Marshall-Jones was arrested on a felony charge of adult abuse and quit her job of 22 years. Three of her supervisors were suspended. One has since returned to duty.

At least six other former and current inmates have since hired attorneys to handle abuse claims. However, the sheriff's office has not acknowledged wrongdoing in those cases.

Velboom said some commission members have a lot of experience with law enforcement and corrections.

"We have arrested people, put people in jail, looked at other side [and] investigated corruption," he said. "I did a lot of use-of-force investigations, officer-involved shootings, 15 to 20 of those, it is a balance."

Sometimes force is necessary, he said.

"I was a cop for 30 years," he said. "You have to protect yourself and protect the people that around you. Sometimes it is warranted. Do cops make mistakes? Sure they do."

Editor Howard Altman contributed to this report. Reporter Mike Wells can be reached at (813) 259-7839 or mwells@tampatrib.com.

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