What Does The Jail Oversight Board Do?

Allegheny County’s Jail Oversight Board has been in the news a lot the last few months over lawsuits, lengthy meetings, and an ongoing disagreement about whether the County Executive needs to attend. But what does the group actually do? Who’s on the board? How often do they meet? And what’s at stake when its members and jail employees aren’t getting along? We're with Tanisha Long of the Abolitionist Law Center, who says she hasn't missed a meeting in the last two years. 

We always cite our sources:

• You can read through the state statute on county jail oversight boards. 
• You can submit public comments for Jail Oversight Board meetings and view the monthly agenda on the Allegheny Courts website. Plus, previous meetings are posted on the oversight board’s YouTube page.
• The Jail Oversight Board's meeting minutes from May 2022 include more information about the mental health tier system.
• Members of the Jail Oversight Board have raised concerns over the jail violating rules around solitary confinement, and the jail gives out monthly segregation housing reports.
• TribLive has reported on issues at the jail, including solitary confinement and use of non-lethal weapons.

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