Douglas County Jail Inmates Beef With Contaminated Water
DOUGLAS COUNTY, Ore. — Douglas County Jail Inmates have complained about their water quality, but the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO) and the County Commissioners say some inmates are to blame.
Douglas County Jail Inmates Say Water Contains Parasites
Anonymous inmates at the Douglas County Jail reported finding items in their drinking water after plunging clogged drains that they describe as parasites or worm-like animals. The find was reported to guards on Thursday.
They claim this is a reoccurring issue every time they are released.
A family member said, “Yes, they’re in jail, but they should not be treated like animals, and that’s what’s going on.”
Sheriff’s Office Response To Inmates Claim Of Contaminated Water At Douglas County Jail
The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office and County commissioners issued a joint statement refuting the claims of the AIC (Adults in Custody).
The statement confirmed inmates do have access to clean drinking water and there are no issues with the Douglas County Justice Building’s drinking water system.
The statement indicates that the water system has been tested and the drinking water is clean, safe, and fully suitable for consumption by both staff and AIC.
The reported issue is another act of vandalism by AIC incarcerated at the Douglas County Jail intentionally damaging and incapacitating the internal sewer system.
After investigation, it was found that the reported issue arose due to inmates purposely breaking the seal on the p-traps- installed to protect sewer gases, bugs, bacteria, and debris from coming back up the sewer pipes, in their sink and toilet drains.
Although it’s well known that all sewer systems can be vulnerable to gases and bugs, p-traps are essential in preventing those from coming back up sewer drains.
When broken intentionally, the p-trap seal in the sink drain creates the opportunity for gases, bugs, bacteria, and debris to rise through the sewer pipes and end up in sinks and toilets.
The report confirms authorities are not clear as to why inmates would be breaking the p-trap seals or trapping debris and bugs or why they would drink water from toilets or sewer pipes, when clean safe drinking water is readily available.
Inmate vandalism is an ongoing and expensive problem in correctional institutions and jail facilities. RUSA is currently installing a brand-new sewer system at the Douglas County Justice Building and jail staff are on call 24/7 to attend to ongoing routine maintenance, and issues resulting from inmate vandalism.
Facilities staff were immediately on-site fixing drains and implementing treatment measures to eradicate the issue after the report was filed.