Inmates discuss county prison conditions
Dillard Robinson, 65, has been in and out of the Fayette County Prison for decades, and says it is beyond repair.
Some of the leaky pipes in the laundry room in the Fayette County Prison's basement drip raw sewage onto guards or inmates who are doing work.
Fayette County Prison Warden Brian Miller points out the four-inch pipe that handles the sewage for the prison's 120+ inmates.
The laundry room toilet in the prison basement for prisoners to use while they sort supplies or do laundry.
Corrections officer Bob Yatsko, left, shows UMWA President Cecil E. Roberts a spot in the prison basement where the walls have shifted, forcing a door shut and bowing the frame. The door has not opened since the wall shifted, and Yatsko is unsure what would happen if it did open.
Dillard Robinson peered between the prison cell bars in an attempt to figure out why a group of people were walking through the cell block.
The 65-year-old Uniontown man said he’s familiar with the dripping pipes, exposed wiring and corroded shower stalls that drew the attention of the visitors.
He shook his head when asked for his impressions of the 126-year-old lockup he has watched decline from the inside during decades of trips in and out of prison.
“It’s terrible, unfathomable, its ridiculous,” he said. “I don’t understand why there isn’t a new facility.”
The visitors were members of United Mine Workers of America (UMWA), the labor union that represents the 60 correction officers at the Fayette County Prison.
International President Cecil Roberts was joined on the tour last week by other union officials and members along with Warden Brian Miller, outgoing Commissioner Al Ambrosini and several newly elected county officials including District Attorney-elect Richard Bower, Commissioner-elect Dave Lohr, Sheriff-elect Jim Custer and Controller-elect Scott Abraham.
Bill Metts of Uniontown had arrived at the jail a few hours before the tour and was waiting to be processed and assigned to a cell block where he would stay for about 30 days.
“It’s jail,” he said, adding that his sleeping accommodations included a plastic “boat” and single blanket. “There’s spiders crawling all over the place.”
A cellmate claims he watched another man eat a cockroach in an attempt to ease his need for a cigarette — they’ve been banned at the facility for years. Use of the toilet and shower facilities require an officer to unlock and lock several doors.
Time inside passes slowly.
“There’s nothing to do in here,” said Donald Soom. “Everybody gets frustrated.”
On every floor, inmates try to share their stories with the visitors. Most involve the poor condition of their bedding, the stench emanating from a nearby room or their inability to talk to someone about their circumstances.
Robinson, meanwhile, said he’s content with the revolving jail door life that he has been a part of since his youth.
However, he has concern for the young men that appear to be following in his path.
“It’s too late for me,” he said. “But maybe some programs would help some of these other guys.”
Roberts, meanwhile, said it is imperative that the new county officials and their incumbent counterparts end the discussion and move forward with the plan to build a new prison.
“I can’t imagine there is any person, whether they are Republican, Democrat, liberal or conservative that doesn’t want a safe working place for the people that are on the payroll of this county,” he said, noting the raw sewage and asbestos that the officers encounter during their daily shifts. “We should not put people at risk.
“We can do better than this.”
Miller, who along with many county officials has supported the construction of a new prison, admits it would be nice to come to work each day and not have to worry about mattress-clogged pipes or water shut-offs, among the other issues that crop up daily.
Over the past four years, his focus has been and will continue to be, the welfare of his officers and the inmates.
Miller acknowledges that the men and women on the front lines have become accustomed to the unsafe and unhealthy conditions, but no one should have to be concerned day-in and day-out of their workplace environment.
“The public does not see the whole picture,” he said. “They see a new building with a lot of dollar signs.
“They don’t see what these officers have to put up with every day.”
The public, too, also appears to forget the responsibility of a county prison, he added.
“What I care about is how are we going to rehabilitate these people,” he said. “If we don’t do anything for them, they are just going to keep coming back.”
Unfortunately, teaching the inmates a trade, furthering their education or helping them prepare for a job interview is non-existent as there is no room in the lockup for such activities.
“Granted, they are in here because they committed a crime,” he said. “But, if we do nothing to change that lifestyle while they are here, they’ll be back.”