They would ignore the buzzers as long as they could. The harrowing tales of neglect and alleged abuse at the Sonoma County Jail published in July of 1998 questioned the treatment of inmates and revealed that the health-care provider at the facility had an ugly past. But change comes slowly at the beleaguered institution. Assistant Sheriff Sean McDermott recently announced his plans to step down as jail chief as soon as a replacement is found. And the county Board of Supervisors has pledged to place the health-care provider's contract renewal on the agenda next year for public debate.
New allegations continue to pour in to the newspaper from inmates.
Yet the public has shown little interest in the way inmates are treated or whether tax dollars are spent on possibly inadequate medical services.