Petition circulating asking Accomack County to increase funding for County jail

By Linda Cicoira

An online petition signed by more than 200 residents and taxpayers is circulating in Accomack County, demanding that the board of supervisors “provide safe, sanitary, and properly maintained conditions” at the Accomack Jail for inmates, workers, and visitors alike.

The document can be found by searching for Accomack Jail at www.change.org.

Two local women, Nicole Shrieves and Shannon Connon, hope to reach 500 signatures before presenting it to officials, according to the post. At a previous board session, Shrieves brought the matter to the supervisors’ attention.

“Although the sheriff’s office operates the jail day to day, the condition, funding, maintenance, and long-term planning of a county-owned facility require the attention and responsible oversight of county government,” the appeal states.

“Extreme summer heat” was listed as the most urgent concern along with the lack of regularly recorded indoor temperatures, sewer backups, electrical issues, and chipped or peeling paint.

It was also noted that a state regulation “requires air conditioning or mechanical ventilation, such as electric fans, when indoor temperatures exceed 85 degrees … If the temperatures are not regularly measured and documented, there is no reliable way to determine when that threshold has been crossed or whether the response is sufficient.”

“Fans can move air, but they do not necessarily reduce the temperature inside an older concrete building,” the petition continued. The standard for maintaining a safe public building should not change because of the population housed inside it. These conditions affect correctional officers, employees, visitors, and incarcerated people, including many who are awaiting trial and have not been convicted of a crime.”

The petitioners ask the supervisors to conduct a comprehensive, independent assessment of the jail’s physical condition, including cooling, ventilation, plumbing, wastewater, electrical, and paint systems. They also want indoor temperatures monitored and documented, and effective cooling and reasonably safe indoor conditions.

The petition calls for county leaders to provide a written jail report and discuss it publicly. They suggest such a report list recent repairs, unresolved problems, immediate needs, estimated costs, and solutions. It would also provide a financial plan for renovation or replacement or other long-term options.

The women said they are not trying to excuse criminal behavior, oppose law enforcement, or minimize accountability. Instead, they want to help steer the county towards providing a community that takes care of its own.

Sheriff Todd Wessells did not answer a reporter’s request for comment on Thursday.