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Jail report: Sawyer County jail notes 59 average daily population, electronic monitoring and medication protocols discussed
Summary
The CJCC heard an April jail report showing an average daily population of 59 inmates and discussed employment eligibility, electronic monitoring, Huber program status and procedures for continuing inmate medications, including psychiatric drugs.
A jail staff member reported April figures to the Sawyer County Criminal Justice Coordinating Council on May 14 showing an average daily population of 59 inmates, including 15 females and 44 males, and said 4 inmates were on electronic monitoring.
The jail presenter said average probation incarceration was 18, presentence incarceration 28 and sentence incarceration 13 at the time of the report; the day the population report was generated the facility had 54 inmates and the recorded unemployment rate at booking was 78 percent.
Council members asked for clarification about how that unemployment percentage is measured. The jail staff explained the 78 percent figure reflects employment status at the time of booking and is not the same as the number of people physically present in custody who are eligible for work release or employment while incarcerated. The staff said the jail does not currently operate a Huber program; instead, eligible people who qualify for work release are placed on electronic monitoring.
Discussion included operational requirements for employment while in custody. The presenter said work‑related insurance and a 32‑hour minimum were part of program criteria and that court authorization is required when a sentence sets eligibility for work release. A council member noted that of the 13 people in sentence incarceration, four were currently out to work under existing arrangements.
Judge Smith asked about policies for continuing prescribed psychiatric medications when someone is booked. The jail staff said medications must be verified and approved by the jail physician; if labels or documentation are missing, the physician may decline to continue a medication, but most properly documented medications are continued on a case‑by‑case basis. The facility reported counselors are available eight hours per week and staff said they try to maintain continuity of care because medication disruption can be dangerous.
Council members requested follow‑up data distinguishing the 78 percent booked‑time unemployment statistic from the in‑custody employment eligibility rate; the jail staff agreed to pursue that breakdown for a future report.
