Nearly two dozen former inmates of Mercer County Correction Center have filed lawsuits alleging inhumane conditions at the jail, including lack of access to clean water, clothing and adequate meals.

The complaints stem from incidents dating back to 2024 outlined in three separate lawsuits filed this month.

Problems at the jail complex, which some parts are more than 100 years old, include asbestos, black mold, rodents and bugs, according to one lawsuit.

Those echo similar complaints made in previous lawsuits against the center.

Another suit was filed on behalf of a former inmate who died after he was found hanging in his cell in 2024.

The complaint alleges Keith Stroman Jr.

was harassed and assaulted prior to his death and that staffers left him unattended.

And a third suit comes from former inmate Teron Williams, who alleges he suffered second and third degree burns from a scalding shower.

The claim says Williams, who is paralyzed, couldn't feel the extreme heat from the water.

A county spokesperson says they don't comment on pending litigation.

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