McHenry County Jail - not a safe place

There was a news article in the Northwest Herald on Saturday that I wondered about, but I didn't write about it at the time. It seems that two fellows in the McHenry County Jail got into a fight on Wednesday, January 19. One had been a witness against the other, and he took a pounding for it. Frank Cmiel, 28, and Yacoup Baghdadi, 21, got into it, after Cmiel pled guilty, knowing that Baghdadi was going to testify against him. Cmiel strangled, punched and kicked Baghdadi, according to the Northwest Herald article.

The thing I wondered about last week, and wondered about again today, is just how did those two end up in the same room (or jail area)?

Don't jail policy and procedures anticipate this type of situation? When inmates take up residence in the jail, especially after a contentious courtroom appearance or trial, don't jailers expect that one might be ticked off at the other?

Wouldn't jailers be keeping an eye out for the guy likely to take a beating?

How did the fight get broken up? Was a jailer Johnny-on-the-spot or did an inmate break it up?

Cmiel's new charges, Case No. 11CF000075, will get started in court on February 4 in Judge Condon's court. Cmiel will be represented by a Special Public Defender from the law firm of Michling Hofmann Vinton et al.