Detroit/ Community & Society
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Published on September 12, 2024
Chaos at New Wayne County Justice Center: Attorneys and Union Officials Cite Flooding, Inmate Protests, and Attorney-Client Access IssuesSource: Google Street View

Just one week after its grand opening, the new Wayne County Criminal Justice Center in Detroit is facing a deluge of issues, as attorneys and union officials report a series of operational mishaps, ranging from flooding to inadequate attorney-client access. According to CBS News Detroit, attorney Brian Brown highlighted, "I have waited up to three and a half hours at one point in time, sometimes that is discouraging for lawyers because if you don't have that amount of time, you may have to come back another day and face the same problems." 

In addition to attorney access concerns, reports from Detroit Free Press include accounts of fights and floods within the new facility, with some details as alarming as incidents of inmates breaking fire sprinklers in protest, and the stress of the situation has purportedly led to two deputies resigning since the move and more considering the same fate, Allen Cox, President of the Wayne County Deputy Sheriff's Association, vocalized his frustration, saying "The first day out, it's fights, flooding and everything. It's turned into a nightmare instead of a dream."

Confidential conversations between inmates and their attorneys are being compromised too, as discussions are audibly vulnerable throughout the building, potentially tainting the constitutional sanctity of privacy, according to a defense attorney interview by the Detroit Free Press. Meanwhile, two sources told the publication about inmates experiencing lockdowns in overcrowded cells and inadequate plumbing, leading to makeshift solutions for basic human needs.

County officials, including Wayne County Executive Warren Evans, have acknowledged the facility's initial struggles, emphasizing a period of acclimation to the new and complex infrastructure, a stance mirrored in his statement found in reports by both CBS News Detroit and FOX 2 Detroit, where Warren asserts the strive for eventual stability and enhanced service levels, however, looming challenges persist as the Wayne County Sheriff's Office spokesperson emphasized the need for continued efforts to address these challenges, although not the builders or owners of the facility, they are committed to improving the situation.

Several deputy sheriffs like Cox, along with the Wayne County Criminal Defense Bar Association's president Lillian Diallo, lamented about the new $670.7 million facility's rocky start that displaced over 1400 inmates and almost 120 juvenile detainees, citing flaws ranging from malfunctioning doors to inmates not receiving clean linens, as reported by Detroit Free Press.

Brown, reflecting on the condition at FOX 2 Detroit, reiterated the distress, stating "That means it’s a first come, first serve basis, you have to sit in line and wait for other attorneys to visit with their clients. And it basically kinda denies our clients the right to counsel because we’re not able to have access to our clients when we need to."