In 1970, inmates at the Lucas County Jail filed a class-action suit against several officials associated with the jail. In 1971, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio (Judge Don J. Young) ordered the jail to update the lighting, ventilation, plumbing, paint, and cell-locking system, but denied the plaintiffs’ demand for damages. 330 F. Supp. 707. The Lucas County Sheriff appealed, and the Sixth Circuit affirmed. Jones v. Metzger, 456 F.2d 854 (6th Cir. 1972).

A few years later, the plaintiffs moved to hold the jail in contempt, and the district court appointed a Special Master to oversee the jail’s compliance with the court’s 1971 order. 73 F.R.D. 82. After the court received reports from the monitor, it found the jail to be in violation of the 1971 order, ordered the jail to come into compliance with the order, and granted additional injunctive relief to the plaintiffs. 440 F. Supp. 60. The docket for this case is not available on PACER, and therefore our information ends with the last reported decision in 1977.

On November 5, 2014, the court ordered specific population restrictions, requiring that the general classified population of the jail not exceed 403 (the count to be taken at 3:00 p.m. each day) and further to ensure that the booking population not exceed 65 at any time.

In order to ensure compliance with the November 2014 order, on September 17, 2015 the court issued a further order specifying release procedures to be followed by correctional authorities.

On December 6, 2016, the Special Master filed a report with the court, describing conditions and circumstances at the jail that were in need of judicial attention. The court held a hearing on January 10, 2017, to address the findings from the report.

As of August 2020 monitoring continues, and the docket reflects continuing payments to the special master.

Lauren Cutson - 05/26/2005
Lakshmi Gopal - 02/11/2016
Chris Pollack - 04/25/2019


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