FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                          CR
THURSDAY, AUGUST 21, 1997                          (202) 616-2777
                                               TDD (202) 514-1888


  JUSTICE DEPARTMENT REACHES AGREEMENT WITH GEORGIA COUNTY JAIL

     WASHINGTON, D.C.   A county in southwest Georgia has agreed
to take steps to upgrade conditions at the local jail, under an
agreement reached late yesterday with the Justice Department.

     The agreement is the first to stem from the Justice
Department's investigations into 10 county jails in Georgia
pursuant to the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act of
1980 (CRIPA).

     The agreement, filed in U. S. District Court in Columbus,
requires the county to take a series of remedial measures to
upgrade living standards at the jail, which houses 10-15
detainees.  Under CRIPA, the Department has the authority to
investigate state or local institutions to determine whether the
facilities maintain constitutional living and care standards. 
 
     "I am pleased that the cooperative efforts of Clay County
officials have resulted in increased safety and care at the
county jail," said Isabelle Katz Pinzler, Acting Assistant
Attorney General for Civil Rights.  "Federal and local officials
were able to avoid protracted litigation by sitting down and
working out this resolution."

     Under the agreement, the county will:
*    undertake renovations to ensure that housing areas do not
     pose a danger to inmates;

*    take steps to ensure proper measures are in place to prevent
     fires;

*    provide adequate medical care for inmates; and,

*    ensure that inmates are adequately supervised. 

     In late 1994, the Department began its investigation of 10
Georgia jails -- in the counties of Calhoun, Clay, Coffee, Dooly,
Harris, Lee, Mitchell, Muscogee, Turner, and Terrell.  Department
officials and experts in penology, correctional health care, and
environmental sanitation visited the jails soon after the
commencement of the investigations.

     The experts found wide-ranging deficiencies in housing,
medical care, fire safety, supervision, and sanitation.  After
notifying the jails of the findings in June 1995, the Justice
Department began negotiating with the county governments to
correct these deficiencies.
  
     The negotiations with the remaining nine counties continue.
     "Clay County's cooperation sets an example that we hope
other counties will follow," added Pinzler.
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