OKALOOSA COUNTY, Fla. — The Okaloosa County NAAACP branch toured the Okaloosa County Jail in Crestview and is voicing its concerns.
The group toured the jail in late August.
It says the jail corrections director said the jail had a capacity of 594 inmates — but it’s currently housing more than 750.
The group says many inmates are lying in walkways in portable beds known as “boats,” while pods and cells were cramped and congested.
The group also says a lack of space, equipment and enough staffing means the jail has inadequate healthcare and sanitation, and can’t support rehabilitation programs that reduce recidivism rates.
The branch is making several requests of the jail, including an emergency population reductions of certain inmates based on their charges and immediate investment in infrastructure, staffing and mental health services.
Read the Okaloosa NAACP’s full letter here: