Judge Orders Wootton Temporary Relocation
Montgomery County prison officials must transfer people incarcerated at the Wootton Detention Center in Rockville by Nov. 30, according to a new order from a circuit court judge.
Conditions like this filthy vent and moldy, rotting drywall prompted the judge’s order. (Photo Credit: @wootton.infrastructure on Instagram via Wootton Common Sense)
The court filed the preliminary injunction order Wednesday, with Judge Josephine Bostik finding probable risk of irreparable harm from deplorable conditions and health hazards. Those include plumbing and HVAC issues, an electrical system that has led to power outages, occasionally backed-up toilets, rodents, and also mold and mildew.
Wootton’s shower installations constantly drip, leaving floors wet and moldy. The stench is unreal. (Photo Credit: Facebook)
In the handbook of Inmate Rights and Responsibilities, it states, “The safety of inmates and staff is essential to maintaining a positive rehabilitative environment.” Human rights advocates argued that Wootton fails that key metric.
Wootton’s decrepit conditions are inhumane treatment unfit for a prisoner. (Photo Credit: @wootton.infrastructure on Instagram via Wootton Common Sense)
"Wootton has electrical issues where half the building loses power at a time, plumbing issues where outdated pipes are corroded and clogged causing backups and leaks, and active mold where guards may no longer keep uniform gear in the staff locker room because it will reek of mold," said reform advocate Elisa Rocvilheimer.
Wootton’s chipped floor tiles reveal a mold and asbestos filled underlayment. (Photo Credit: Facebook)
Montgomery County Department of Correction and Rehabilitation Director Taylor Thomas said in a statement this morning that Wootton's population would be temporarily transferred to the Silver Spring International Correctional Facility while repairs are made. Unions representing Wootton workers praised Director Thomas' quick response but remarked that SSI conditions are only marginally better.
Wootton’s rodent infestation was plainly evident on a recent tour. (Photo Credit: @wootton.infrastructure on Instagram via Wootton Common Sense)
In an email to department personnel, Director Thomas also announced today that administrative and executive staff currently occupying space on the Wootton campus would be relocated to the new Crown Correctional Institute in Gaithersburg.
Editor’s Note: Any resemblance between fictional characters within this satire and real people is purely your imagination. Likewise for paradoxical plagiarism:
(Photo credit: The Montgonion)
