county jails

The wife of a 72-year-old veteran who was beaten to death by a cellmate in an Alabama jail has filed a civil rights lawsuit against three deputies working at the Macon County jail. The lawsuit filed Wednesday says the officers were made aware of the assault but ignored John Reed's cries and need for medical attention.

An Alabama sheriff evacuated his county's jail late last week, citing a need to prevent unspecified "health and safety issues." Sheriff Mark Harrell said in a statement posted on Facebook that deputies began transporting inmates from the Autauga County Metro Jail to other facilities in the morning.

An Alabama senator says the federal government should cover most of the cost of caring for county jail inmates with mental illnesses.Sen. Cam Ward, a…