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Just weeks after hiring Jeremy Everett as a warden of the troubled Cuyahoga County Jail, Sheriff Harold Pretel asked Everett to resign.
In his Oct. 23 resignation letter, Everett told Pretel he was “surprised” to learn two days earlier that he was asked to resign after just six weeks in the position.
“Chief (Dale) Soltis indicated to me that he was told it had nothing to do with my performance during my tenure, but that the county is changing directions,” wrote Everett, who has worked in corrections for more than 25 years, most recently as operations manager with the Ohio Department of Youth Services.
Everett declined to comment to The Marshall Project – Cleveland.
A spokeswoman for County Executive Chris Ronayne initially promised to respond to questions about Everett’s resignation, but later declined to provide more details or expand on what county officials meant by “changing directions” in jail leadership. The spokeswoman cited confidentiality as the reason for not providing context for demanding Everett’s resignation.
Ronayne, who took office in January, ran on a campaign promise to be more transparent than his predecessor.
The jail has one warden and four assistant wardens who oversee daily operations. Everett’s resignation comes as state officials are about to inspect the jail as part of an annual review beginning Nov. 6. Previous inspections have been critical of jail operations and deplorable conditions in the facility.
The Cuyahoga County Jail has also made headlines in recent years for multiple deaths, including three this year related to medical issues. You can read the history here from News 5.
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