W.Va. puts female inmates in 1 jail to avoid suits
CHARLESTON (AP) — The West Virginia Regional Jail Authority is now housing all state-sentenced female inmates at the Tygart Valley Regional Jail.
Acting executive director Joe Delong tells the Charleston Daily Mail that the move is part of an effort to protect the regional jail system from frivolous inmate lawsuits.
DeLong says frivolous lawsuits have cost the state more than $7 million in the past three years. The majority of the cases were sexually based.
Other steps will include installing surveillance cameras in all sections leading to prisoner areas. Recording equipment will be installed on all intercoms and internal jail communication lines so officer-inmate communications can be monitored.
Tygart Valley has 15 female officers who now have primary contact with the female prisoners.
