Despite flooding and deadly explosion, Florida jail continues to take in more prisoners

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Despite more than a foot of rain this week that has resulted in the flooding of the Escambia County Jail in Florida, despite a deadly explosion that led to the deaths of two prisoners and injury to over one hundred, despite a roof and wall collapse, Escambia County spokesperson Kathleen Castro said the jail is “still inhabitable”. Despite all the damage the jail has suffered in the past 24hrs, the Escambia jail appears to be still processing residents and housing them in the flooded and explosion damaged facility as of last night.

According to information recorded on Escambia County’s wiki page with independent links confirming that the jail was cited by the US Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division for violating prisoners and detainees Constitutional rights. In short, reports determined that Escambia County does not care about the health and safety of the thousands of people they have warehoused in the county jail.

A findings letter of investigation published almost a year ago on in May 22, 2013 stated,

“These factual determinations provided the Department of Justice with reasonable cause to believe that Escambia County Jail’s practices violated the Fourteenth Amendment‘s due process protections for pre-trial detainees, as well as the Eighth Amendment‘s protections for those convicted of a criminal offense. Those amendments prohibit jail officials from showing deliberate indifference to conditions of confinement posing an excessive risk of harm to prisoners.” – Roy L. Austin Jr., Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the Civil Rights Division

Sheriff David Morgan continues to serve as the elected overseer of the Escambia County jail.

Voting data shows the county is deeply conservative and has not voted for a Democratic president since 1960 when the Democrats were offering candidates like South Carolina’s Strum Thurmond.

Escambia County continues to play its roll in 21st century slavery and human trafficking and neither rain nor flames are going to stop them from maintaining their quotas.

However, the jail did cancel today’s Escambia County Sheriff’s Office Citizens’ Law Enforcement Academy tonight “due to recent events”, as the press release states. I guess wannabe cops standing their ground in Florida will have to wait a few more days to get back at it. Citizen inquiries pertaining to the jail should be directed to 1-850-471-6600.