Erie County jail report seeks answers

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - What's going on within the walls of the Erie County jails? A scathing 50 page report released Wednesday is seeking answers.

>> click here to read the full 50-page report (PDF)

In this 50 page report, some of the inmates stories stand out, like at the holding center, how "deputies would take inmates on "elevator rides" where they would be beaten and had their heads slammed against the elevator walls." There were no cameras in the elevators.

One inmate of the county's Correctional Facility in Alden died of a stroke after deputies smashed his head against a wall, according to the Justice Department.

The probe began almost two years ago, and months later when investigators wanted to get into the jails, the Chris Collins adminstration wouldn't let them in.

>> get a peek inside the Holding Center

Erie County Attorney Cheryl Green said, "Because it's the same reason you don't let the police into your house without a search warrant. It's to protect the county and it's taxpayers from a fishing expedition."

Green says the county would've allowed it on the condition that a county attorney and stenographer be present to make sure the questions aren't leading questions. She says the Justice Department refused, and finally got the United States Marshals to let them in.

Green said, "They come into a jurisdiction with the sole thought in mind of finding a problem."

The report says the county's unreasonable denial of our request is especially troubling given that inmates committed suicide in March and April of 2008, the months that investigators were trying to get in.

Erie County Comptroller Mark Poloncarz said, "This in some ways gives whoever decides to file lawsuits greater ammunition because now you've got a record from the Federal Government saying here are the deficiencies at the jail, and they've known about it for some time and haven't fixed it. That's bad."