http://www.spokane.net:80/news-story-body.asp?Date=112599&ID=s711867&cat=

Link

November 25, 1999

Cell doors jammed closed at county jail

Compiled from our staff and wire services -

The Spokane County Jail was in a lockdown mode for several hours Wednesday night after a mechanical failure left jailers unable to open the doors, said Inspector Dave Wiyrick of the Sheriff's Department.

By 9:30 p.m. electricians had repaired the problem, he said. The jail continued to be in lockdown, which is normal for late night.

When the doors weren't working, however, deputies were unable to bring new prisoners to the jail. Wiyrick was unsure how many deputies this affected.

Wiyrick said a drill held at the jail last month as a Y2K test, in which in the electricity was shut off and the jail operated on generators, was very helpful in dealing with Wednesday night's problem.

-- Homer Beanfang (Bats@inbellfry.com), November 29, 1999

Answers

Homer "the searcher" Beanfang,

"When the doors weren't working, however, deputies were unable to bring new prisoners to the jail. Wiyrick was unsure how many deputies this affected."

Answer; Just the ones inside.

Thanks Homer!

-- maid upname (noid@ihope.com), November 29, 1999.

I was told this past summer that the new jail in LaCrosse, WI, has toilets that are remotely controlled (for flushing) by a jailer. This is so that new prisoners cannot flush contraband or evidence down the toilet. Well, it turned out that the remote electronic _computer controlled_ flushing mechanism was not Y2K compliant. I would hope that by now it is fixed. Ain't technology wonderful.

-- Jim (Jiminwis@yahoo.com), November 29, 1999.

So... they just had a Y2K drill last month, practiced using the generators etc., and that knowledge was very helpful they said... yet it STILL took several hours to get the doors to open?

32 days.

-- Linda (lwmb@psln.com), November 29, 1999.