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Wright County approves opioid-settlement funding to buy cell monitors for jail
Summary
The county board unanimously approved using opioid settlement funds to buy a 10-device monitoring system for high-risk jail cells that tracks respiration, heart rate and movement to alert staff during observation gaps.
Wright County commissioners voted unanimously Nov. 18 to spend opioid settlement funds on a monitoring system for the county jail intended to detect physiologic distress in inmates and alert corrections staff.
Captain O'Malley asked the board to authorize purchase of a 10-device system that "will monitor the person's respirations, it'll monitor their heart rate, it'll monitor amount of movement" and sound an alarm when thresholds are breached. He told the board the jail already conducts physical checks approximately every 25 minutes but that gaps exist and the monitors would help triage people at highest risk for withdrawal, suicidal behavior or other medical crises.
Commissioner Dietrich said he supported the project but expressed concern that the opioid settlement committee's usual process—criteria, RFP and documented recommendations—was bypassed. The chair said he and Commissioner Moina had been reorganizing the committee and that it is a recommending body, not a deciding body, and therefore placed the item on the board agenda to expedite a purchase he characterized as necessary.
Commissioner Moynihan moved to approve the use of opioid settlement funds; the motion was seconded and passed unanimously. Board members said the system could protect staff and inmates and might prevent litigation by improving monitoring during periods between physical checks.
The approval covers purchase of 10 devices to be placed in cells for triage of the highest-risk people; no vendor name, contract dollar amount or delivery timeline was specified at the meeting. Staff said other jails have installed similar systems using opioid funds.
The board and jail staff indicated they will work with the opioid settlement committee during a planned reorganization to clarify future processes for funding decisions.
