Sheriff's office presents jail staffing, medical and inmate-fund requests; commissioners weigh using inmate benefits to cover programs

Representatives from the sheriff's office presented a prioritized list of staffing and capital requests Oct. 2 and said many of the items are operationally necessary to open a remodeled jail medical area and to meet growing workload demands.

Jail medical staffing and operations

Sheriff representatives said that positions tied to a remodel of the jail medical space were previously included in Rod's tentative budget but remain contingent on the commission opening the medical unit. "Without these positions, we really can't open it," the sheriff's office representative said; staff said the remodel should be complete by late year and that the county will need additional deputies and medical staff to open the space.

Inmate-benefit fund and specific requests

Sheriff's office staff asked commissioners to consider drawing on the inmate-benefit fund for some capital items tied directly to inmate protection and services. Items discussed included suicide-barrier installation (cost figure discussed around $600,000, which staff suggested could be funded from the inmate fund), visiting/attorney booths, and technology that allows inmates secure discovery review and attorney communications (a software-related expense already in process).

Operational cost pressures

Sheriff's representatives briefed commissioners on rising overtime and special-unit costs (SWAT, EOD) and said the judge's order in the high-profile Tyler Robinson matter, which requires in-person hearings, has driven significant additional security costs for transports and guarded hearings. "Every time he leaves our facility, that's a lot of..." a sheriff's office representative said, explaining the manpower and armored-vehicle needs for certain hearings.

Pretrial services and RISE

The sheriff's group also presented a pretrial-services proposal (requested by a regional coordinating council) and a request to convert an existing RISE program part-time position to full time. The sheriff's office and commissioners discussed the trade-offs of making ongoing commitments out of the inmate fund given uncertain future revenues (staff said the inmate-benefit fund currently generates approximately $350,000 to $400,000 annually and that balances have fallen in recent years).

Next steps

Commissioners asked staff to provide a detailed fund analysis and recommended uses of inmate-benefit dollars, including an assessment of current fund balance and projected revenues before committing to ongoing expenditures. Staff said some items could be funded from the inmate fund as one-time uses, but noted that drawing down the fund would reduce the cushion for future capital needs and program continuity.