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ACLU: Squalid conditions at troubled Baltimore jail

The ACLU and Public Justice Center are asking a federal judge to reopen a lawsuit against the state of Maryland

By Juliet Linderman & Brian Witte
Associated Press

BALTIMORE — The ACLU and Public Justice Center are asking a federal judge to reopen a lawsuit against the state of Maryland, saying there are squalid conditions at a troubled Baltimore jail.

Attorneys filed a motion Tuesday, saying the conditions endanger the health and safety of inmates. They say moldy showers are often infested with vermin and medical care is poor or absent.

The attorneys say the lack of medical care may be implicated in the deaths of at least seven inmates. They say the terms of a 2009 agreement with the Justice Department are not being met.

Stephen Moyer, the state’s corrections chief, notes he’s been in the position for only four months and has high expectations for his staff to change the way the state does business.

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