Iowa county jail’s fees helped fund cotton candy and laser tag for department, lawsuit says

WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) — Civil rights groups are accusing one Iowa county’s sheriff’s department of mishandling the collection of jail fees. A lawsuit filed Monday says some of that money helped fund recreational expenses like laser tag and a cotton candy machine at a shooting range used by the department. The lawsuit in federal court alleges that convicted prisoners were forced to sign a confession of judgment, agreeing to a balance and payment plan for administrative and room and board fees, before being released from jail in Black Hawk County, about 120 miles northeast of Des Moines. In a statement, the Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office says inmates are not required to sign a confession of judgment.