By James Allen
Fergus Falls Daily Journal, Minn.
MINNEAPOLIS — The Otter Tail County Detention Center has been reinstated with a Class III Facility License, essentially being able to operate somewhat normally.
The surprise development transpired on April 19, following a Minnesota Department of Corrections (DOC) follow up visit that occurred on April 10. According to the facility’s conditional use order, the DOC inspection and enforcement unit conducted a site visit and it consisted of a physical plant tour, interviews with staff, a review of staff training documentation and a review of updated policies and procedures and the facility’s plan to ensure another incident like occurred in February doesn’t happen again.
As previously reported, in the DOC’s review of the incident that occurred in February, an inmate had smeared feces on their cell door and threw it under their door. Based on video from inside the jail collected during a preliminary investigation, beginning on Feb. 10, at 6:53 a.m., correctional staff refused to give the inmate food until the inmate cleaned up the feces. No medical providers or mental health experts were notified and 50 hours passed until Feb. 12 at 6:54 a.m. when the inmate was “given milk and juice through (a) food pass.”
DOC stated in the reinstatement letter that, “Based on the information submitted by the Otter Tail County Sheriff’s Office (specifically the Otter Tail County Jail’s plan for continued compliance, dated April 12 ) in conjunction with DOC’s inspection of the jail on April 10 , the DOC is reinstating the Otter Tail County Jail to a Class III Facility License, effective upon receipt of this letter and contingent upon written confirmation from Otter Tail County acknowledging and agreeing to its contents.
The reinstatement is also subject to the following conditions:
* A weekly report is submitted for inmates that are assigned to administrative segregation.
* A weekly report is submitted for inmates assigned to disciplinary segregation.
* DOC will also conduct unannounced and random visits to ensure ongoing compliance.
* DOC will also monitor implementation and compliance with all staff training curriculum and requirements.
A requirement is also in place that mandates that the facility administrator or their designee visit all inmates who are in the administrative or disciplinary segregation at one every seven days, but recommend this be every three days as part of the administrative or disciplinary segregation review process.
Finally, given the nature of the incident the DOC is encouraging the jail’s administration to review all deprivation reports within 24 hours, including weekends and holidays and to fully document this review.
As of press time, Sheriff Barry Fitzgibbons has not made any comment on the reinstatement, only making a short statement confirming that it occurred.
The DOC also notes in the letter that the lifting of the conditional license order will be determined once a full facility inspection takes place this fall.
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