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Jail Panel Releases Review Spurred By Wheelchair Incident

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By JOSH POLTILOVE | The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 10, 2008

Updated: 09/10/2008 01:09 pm

TAMPA - After Orient Road Jail inmate Brian Sterner was dumped from his wheelchair by a detention deputy, jail video of it spread like a disease on the Internet and airwaves.

Former and current inmates with claims of abuse went to the media, and the outcry was answered with the formation of an independent review commission. Today, the commission charged with examining Hillsborough County's jail policies and procedures has released a final report.

The commission found that the wheelchair dumping was an aberration but that the jail system could use some improvement.

"We can suggest that the Hillsborough County jail system is one of the strongest in the state and the country," said James Sewell, the former assistant commissioner of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, who led the 11-member commission.

The commission had a dozen public meetings. The resulting report includes 40 recommendations, some of which the jail system already has implemented.

"The sheriff's office has taken a whole lot of aggressive steps to make sure things like this don't happen again," Sewell said.

Among the recommendations:

• The definition of "use of force" should be clarified to ensure all deputies understand what it is and what needs to be reported. The sheriff's office also should examine creating a use-of-force investigation team to review such incidents rather than having immediate supervisors conduct the reviews.

• The sheriff's office should consider adding sound recording devices in some areas of the jail, including central booking.

• Supervisors should receive increased training to identify and manage employees' stress.

• The Department of Detention Services should identify gaps in translation of signs, forms and publications into Spanish.

• The sheriff's office should consider adding the Wonderlic Personnel Test to the group of tests job applicants take.

Sewell thanked the sheriff's office for unfettered access to information and for allowing the commission to be completely independent.

Sheriff David Gee said today that he and his staff will read the 33-page report and respond to the commission by letter.

Based on Sewell's comments, Gee said he was pleased to hear the jail system's problems are not widespread.

"There's always room for improvement, but I was very concerned about the way it had been hyped," Gee said, referring the reports of abuse at the jails.

"One TV station covering this referred to us as a 'house of horrors.' You've heard today some respected people saying our jails are some of the best in the country."

The commission was created in February to address patterns, customs and practices of conduct and discipline in the jails; policies and procedures that are in place or should be advanced; management; and training.

Commissioners split into three work groups, and each group addressed one of these issues: grievances, internal affairs and use of force.

Lorie Fridell, associate professor at the University of South Florida and a member of the American Civil Liberties Union, was chairwoman of the grievance work group.

She said the commission found more strengths than weaknesses in the jail system.

Bad incidents, she said, can happen even for well run agencies.

Michael P. Maddux, Sterner's attorney, said he thinks the sheriff's office will act upon the report's recommendations.

"It's a good thing that a very secret place like the jail has become open so that the community can have more awareness," he said.

He appreciated the report's recommendation that the definition of "use of force" be clarified.

"I'm very pleased that they're going to have a heightened awareness for reporting these incidents, because I'm convinced that a lot of these incidents are not reported," he said.

Sheriff's Col. David Parrish said his office has a lot of work to do.

"The report is finished, but it's not finished for us," he said. "For us, it's just a beginning."

Reporter Josh Poltilove can be reached at jpoltilove@tampatrib.com or (813) 259-7691.

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