Rock County officials got an earful this week, regarding conditions at the county jail. Consultants for the National Institute of Corrections , Bob Cushman and Nate Caldwell, held a listening session in Beloit. Cushman said the county needs to set different priorities to correct the problems at the jail: crowded conditions, inmates sleeping on the floor, bad sanitation. "It's really a bad facility," said Caldwell. "People in this community should be embarrassed." Caldwell said conditions violate 8th amendment's protections against cruel and unusual punishment. Cushman said one recommendation is to involve law enforcement, the district attorney and judges in making decisions as to who should be in jail, and for what types of crimes. He said building a bigger jail is not the answer to Rock County's jail overcrowding.
