RALEIGH COUNTY, W.Va. — A settlement has been reached between the state of West Virginia and inmates from the Southern Regional Jail.
The two sides reached a $4 million agreement in the class-action lawsuit over the alleged poor conditions at the jail. Four separate $1 million insurance policies will be divided up among 9,200 inmates. The amount that is given to each inmate will be based on the amount of time each inmate spent at the jail between September 22, 2020 and when settlement began.
The judge in the case still has to approve the deal.
West Virginia Secretary of Homeland Security Mark Sorsaia released a statement Thursday in which he approved of the settlement.
“Given the judge’s recommendation of default judgment looming over the case, this settlement represents the most favorable outcome for our state,” Sorsaia said
Sorsaia further said that he’s confident he and other state leaders can be more transparent moving forward.
“It’s important to acknowledge that the actions of former employees within the Division of Corrections brought us to this situation. However, I want to reassure the public that these individuals are no longer employed by the Division of Corrections.”
Other parties are mentioned in the settlement including medical providers to the jail, Primecare and Wexford, and the county commissions that house inmates at the facility which include Greenbrier, Raleigh, Wyoming, Fayette, Mercer, Monroe and Summers.
Meanwhile, Governor Jim Justice has asked his chief of staff Brian Abraham to conduct a full internal investigation into other employees who may have also attempted to cover up the conditions at the Southern Regional Jail.
Two top state officials have already been terminated: Brad Douglas, the executive officer for state corrections, and Phil Sword, general counsel for DHS.
“There may be others coming,” Abraham said Wednesday during a media briefing.