U.S. Department of Justice

 

 

Civil Rights Division
JS: AS . Specie! Litigation Section - PHB
950 Ave. NW
16 8-3 0-22 Washington DC 20530

July 17, 2013

Joe Taylor I

Grant County Attorney
101 North Main Street
Williamstown, KY 41097

RE: Grant County Jail
Dear Mr. Taylor:

This letter concerns our request that your clients provide us with a response to our
February 6, 2013, compliance letter. As you know, in that letter, we informed your clients that
Grant County has failed to implement a majority of the provisions of the 2009 Settlement
Agreement (?the Agreement?) between the County and the United States, and that conditions at
the Grant County Jail (?the ail?) continue to pose an excessive risk of harm to inmates. For
instance, mentally ill inmates still do not receive timely assessments, treatment, or care under the
supervision of a These types of problems date back to the beginning of our
investigation into conditions at the Jail. Moreover, a number of inmates have been harmed, and
at least two have died during the period the County has neglected its obligations. To date, the
County has not provided us with a substantive response to our compliance letter. We are writing

to you now in an attempt to move this matter forward.

For months, we have repeatedly tried to convince your clients to address the ?ndings and
recommendations contained in our compliance letter. We have spoken to you on two occasions,
sent you emails, and left messages with you, all in an effort to move toward substantive
discussions over how your clients can come into compliance with the terms of its Agreement
with the United States. On June 16", you advised us that the County would soon get back to us
with a detailed response to our letter, but we have received no such response.

There is no reasonable justification for a delay of half a year in hearing back from your
clients on what steps will be taken to bring the County into compliance with the commitments it
has made to the United States. Indeed, your client?s unwillingness to engage with the United
States over the pattern of non-compliance our experts observed at the Jail suggests indifference
toward the constitutional rights of the Jail?s inmates. 

Consequently, at this time, we ask that your clients provide us with a detailed written
response to our most recent compliance letter by no later than July 31, 2013.

Sincerely,

Ft":  

Christopher N. Q/h'eng

Attorney
Special Litigation Section

I