Jail suit dismissed

A federal lawsuit filed in July by three present or former Cole County Jail inmates was dismissed Thursday in federal court in Jefferson City.

They complained the county jail "has a practice of limiting pretrial detainees and inmates serving sentences to a single set of clothing and undergarments" which, they argued, is a "deprivation" of their constitutional rights.

The 16-page lawsuit filed by lawyers Jason Ludwig and Roger Brown sought class action status for all present and former Cole County Jail inmates who had been held in the new jail since it opened in 2011.

They argued if a jail inmate wants clean clothes, then he or she has to be naked for the period of time required to launder that one set of clothing.

As part of their argument, the inmates' lawsuit also claimed their conditions were "outlawed by the Geneva Convention relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War."

The lawsuit named Cole County Sheriff Greg White and Chief Deputy John Wheeler as defendants.

County attorney Michael Berry said U.S. District Judge Nanette Laughrey found the inmates "failed to state a claim under the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments or corresponding provisions of the Missouri Constitution" and gave no credence to the Geneva Convention complaints.

"I'm glad that our policy meets constitutional standards," said White. "We are proud of our staff and the efforts they make to house inmate under the best conditions we can provide."

"This is the first time I've heard of a jail being sued for paying too much attention to cleanliness and hygiene," Berry said. "All of the inmates we interviewed under oath and acknowledged either buying additional underwear and thermals to wear during change-out or choosing to spend money on candy and chips instead."