CLEVELAND — The number of inmates inside Cuyahoga County's troubled downtown jail was the lowest since the Justice Center jail expanded in the late 1990's, according to the sheriff's department.
On Sunday, November 10, the county says the jail's population dropped to 1,762 inmates.
Last November, a review by the US Marshal's team of inspectors found more than 2,400 people locked up inside the downtown facility.
A county spokesman credited ongoing cooperation between the sheriff's department and the court systems aimed at reducing the number of people locked-up for non-violent or minor offenses.
However, by Monday, the number of inmates had risen to 1,821. The sheriff's department said overall the trend "is good and our efforts to keep the population down are ongoing and effective."
The county also said the number of jailers on the payroll is at an all-time high.
New numbers show 696 corrections officers are now employed. Another 16 officers are expected to start next week.
Last fall's Marshal's report called conditions inside the jail "inhumane," and attributed many of the problems to overcrowding and a shortage of jailers.
Recent renovations to a former kitchen space that was no longer being used has added 94 new beds to the jail.
