RAVENNA, Ohio — An Ohio county sheriff’s office has been called in to investigate whether inmates have been abused and mistreated at another county’s jail.
The Ravenna Record-Courier reports the Lake County Sheriff’s Office will investigate inmates’ claims at the Portage County Jail.
Portage County Sheriff David Doak in a statement said the allegations have no merit but acknowledged the importance of “public confidence” in an independent investigation.
A group of former Portage County inmates now incarcerated at a state prison have petitioned the Ohio Attorney General’s Office to investigate the jail. A spokesman for Attorney General Dave Yost said a sheriff or prosecutor would have to request an investigation.
The newspaper has reported inmates have complained about assaults by corrections officers and being kept naked in cells for days at a time.
