The Detention Facility Oversight Board conducted it's first official visit of the City Justice Center Tuesday afternoon but however, it did not receive a tour.
Instead what they received was a meeting with Commissioner Jennifer Clemons-Abdullah and held a long but productive conversation with her.
According to Board Chairperson Reverend Darryl Gray, the board members aired their grievences with the lack of access and assured the Commissioner they are not her adversary.
"We have made it very clear to the commissioner that we did not want her and her staff to dictate our agenda, and we still stand by that." said Gray.
Gray went as far as to say this meeting was more productive than any introductory tour they could have received.
"It was productive, it was helpful," said Gray. "I think we were best served in having that meeting than having a tour where we are directed to place versus going to place we asked for initially."
The meeting with the commissioner was enough for Reverend Gray to say he is not calling for her termination at this time, and is willing to see if this begins to change the relationship between her and the oversight board for the better.
"We're going to give her some time to see if this meeting is going to bear any fruit," said Gray. "That's going to be based upon what our staff tells us over the next couple days and weeks on to whether they had access."
The original plan was for the board to go on a two-hour tour of the City Justice Center and see areas such as the medical wing and kitchen in light of ten detainee deaths in two years and reports of inadequate food being served.
However, the commissioner's schedule didn't allow for that and instead a 50-minute guided tour was planned. Gray was joined by fellow board members Pam Walker.
Reverend Gray expressed that he and his staff would still like to see those areas of the City Jail and will discuss it with the board at their next meeting.
