Sheriff Ian Parkinson
A lawsuit was filed Wednesday against San Luis Obispo County, Sheriff Ian Parkinson and the sheriff’s department, alleging civil rights violations of female inmates over the alleged failure to provide tampons to women who are menstruating.
State law requires that, “each female inmate shall be issued sanitary napkins and/or tampons as needed.” But in the SLO County Jail, women are required to pay $3.23 for a box of 10 tampons.
Attorney Paula Canny filed the lawsuit on behalf of past, present and future female inmates. She is asking the court to require Parkinson to provide all female inmates tampons and sanitary napkins as needed, to provide an accounting of all money collected for tampons and to return all monies the county charged female inmates for tampons.
The county jail has repeatedly violated Title 15’s minimum requirements for state jails, according to state mandated inspection reports. While state reports detail the county’s failures, there are no regulatory penalties.
If county’s refuse to follow the state’ minimum requirements for county jails, civil suits are often the only means to force compliance.
In July 2017, SLO County paid a $5 million settlement to the family of a man who died after jail guards left him strapped in a chair for more than 46 hours. The county also agreed to implement changes at the jail.
Canny, also the attorney for the family of 36-year-old Andrew Holland, hired a team of professionals to inspect the jail and make recommendations to help ensure that in the future inmates will not suffer because of neglect or mistreatment.
Honestly, what kind of leader gets sued over feminine hygiene products? I don’t have much faith Parkinson is in control of much if he can’t handle the most basic of needs.
I remember a friend of mine who knew Parkinson when he first ran for Sheriff, told me that Ian was not the sharpest knife in the drawer, which has really proven true!!!
The jail is and has been poorly run for a long time, when you aim for the bare minimum, you usually get less:(
Don’t expect any innovative idea’s for managing the jail coming from Parkinson, he doesn’t have the capacity, plus he’s more of a politician than a law enforcement officer:(
Would love to see the jail more family friendly, a cheaper in house commissary run by a local non profit, phone call system that doesn’t gouge the family, make it easier to make visits, instead of the new system that Parkinson has put in place!
Yes they are mainly criminals, but some are just waiting for their court date and are only guilty of being poor:(
Expect more Lawsuits soon , unless they get settled to keep them secret. Several Claims are pending and Carl Warren CO. has several to figure out what to do in the current state of wrong doings
The statement “In July 2017, SLO County paid a $5 million” is wrong, the county didn’t pay it, Sheriff Parkinson didn’t pay it, his department didn’t pay it, the taxpayers paid it and yet no one was help accountable, Thanks DA Dow. Time for Parkinson and Dow to go, they have cost the taxpayers enough and the tally keeps increasing.