In May 2015, federal officials said conditions violated the U.S. Constitution because threat of harm amounted to cruel and unusual punishment and failure to release inmates on time violated equal protection guarantees. "Across the board, this settlement will make the Hinds County criminal justice system smarter and fairer," said Vanita Gupta, head of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. If implemented, these reforms will make pretrial detainees, prisoners, corrections staff and the entire community safer, while also ensuring that vulnerable individuals get access to the treatment, care and community services they need and deserve. The county agreed to improve record-keeping to ensure prisoners due to be released don't get stuck in jail, and work to improve coordination among prosecutors, defense attorneys, judges and the jail. [...] the county agreed to help mentally ill inmates better transition to the civilian world and hire an outside consultant to provide advice on diverting some people from jail. Teeuwissen said Mason will need more jail employees, but said he hoped that the sheriff could cut administrative personnel to shift money to the jail, without cutting patrol deputies or requesting more money from the county.