DETROIT (Michigan News Source) – The Wayne County juvenile jail is so overcrowded that some inmates have had to be doubled up in cells and mattresses have been place on the floor in the intake area reports the Detroit Free Press

The information comes from an employee who sent an email and photos to court officials, alleging problems due to overcrowding and saying that administrators should be “ashamed of themselves for these deplorable conditions and nonchalant attitudes.” The email went on to say, “This facility is unsafe and these issues (need) to be addressed immediately.” The email was first reported by WDIV-TV (Channel 4).

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The email also said, “They (juveniles) are being confined two and three in cells which then have been causing conflict and inappropriate sexual behavior and tension.”

There are currently about 152 juveniles housed in the facility even though the county had said that the jail can “comfortably” operate with 80.

An older report from the Detroit Free Press in September said that Wayne County commissioners were already calling for “drastic” and quick action to address the problems of the jail due to low staffing levels. The newspaper had reported problems with the jail during an investigation including youths being “confined to their rooms sometimes for days, and getting only sporadic recreation time and showers.” Their investigation also showed that basic needs like getting vital medication were being ignored.

Even though the jail has had staffing problems, the Michigan Dept. of Health and Human Services, charged with overseeing the facility, has still been approving the jail’s requests for temporary waivers of licensing rules which has resulted in relaxed rules.

After being made aware of the complaint, Deputy County Executive Assad Turfe said in statement, “Our administration immediately initiated an internal review which is ongoing.” He went on to say, “Upon completion of the review, we will take appropriate action, as necessary. At this point, we have found no evidence that substantiates the allegation of inappropriate sexual behavior occurring in holding cells of our intake unit.”

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Wayne County Circuit Chief Judge Patricia Perez Fresard told the Free Press that the state needs to take action to relieve the overcrowding which the newspaper reports as being due to the “statewide shortage of beds at secure residential facilities where youths can be placed from the jail once they have been ordered by the court into treatment.”