ROCKFORD — Winnebago County Sheriff Gary Caruana is being sued for "excessive and unwarranted" lockdowns.
Jerry Hatchett, 43, an inmate being held in the county jail since Feb. 6 on a federal hold warrant, filed suit Jan. 3.
His suit is one of four to be filed against the sheriff alleging he does not have an adequate number of corrections officers to lawfully operate the jail, said Dave Kurlinkus, chief of staff for the State’s Attorney’s Office Civil Bureau. As a result, inmates have been subjected to longer than normal daily lockdowns, a period when inmates are kept in their two-person cell as opposed to a common area that is shared by 64 inmates.
The number and duration of the lockdowns spiked after 10 corrections officers were laid off Oct. 26 as part of Sheriff Gary Caruana’s plan to manage a $4.3 million budget cut. Inmates spent 1,968 hours on lockdown in November and 1,905 hours in December. That's more than three times the monthly average for the rest of the year.
Hatchett's suit states that normally detainees are out of their cells from 6:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. subject to daily lockdowns for staff breaks, lunch and shift changes.
However, during one stretch in November, he was "forced into excessive and unwarranted lockdowns for 131 hours and 45 minutes out of about 224 hours."
His suit also stated, "The lockdowns cannot be justified by cries of fiscal necessity or administrative convenience."
Hatchett wants an injuction to cease and desist the "excessive lockdowns" against him and other pretrial detainees, and he is seeking $15,000 in compensatory damages stemming from emotional distress.
At a Jan. 9 Editorial Board meeting at the Rockford Register Star, Caruana said the jail is so understaffed that inmates are enduring 10 to 12 hours of lockdown on a daily basis and warned, "We are going to get sued."
Monday, Jail Superintendent Bob Redmond said more correctional officers are being asked to work overtime, and that the duration of the lockdowns have been reduced.
He also said he is aware of "several lawsuits" being filed in recent weeks and that each has been forwarded to the civil division of the Winnebago County State's Attorney's Office.
Chris Green: 815-987-1241; cgreen@rrstar.com; @chrisfgreen