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Sheriff Gardner: Linn County moving to hire detention staff, testing deputies and using new segregation units
Summary
Sheriff Brian Gardner told the board the department is hiring civilian detention officers (about five to six), will hold deputy testing Nov. 1 at Coe College, and has opened administrative segregation cells on the 4th and 5th floors to relieve congestion; jail population remains capped at 401.
Sheriff Brian Gardner reported to the Linn County Board that his department is actively recruiting civilian detention officers and expects to hire roughly five or six people in the coming weeks to backfill retirements and resignations. He said the department will hold testing for deputy sheriff candidates on Nov. 1 at Coe College, with both physical and written examinations planned.
Gardner said the county has begun occupying newly completed administrative-segregation cells on the fourth and fifth floors, which allows the department to use maximum-security space as intended and relieves prior congestion. He added that the county jail population remains capped at 401.
During the update, a supervisor thanked the sheriff and his team for pursuing an enhanced opioid-funded FTE to support jail diversion and crisis-intervention work after state changes to behavioral-health funding reduced some local supports. The sheriff said discussions with Foundation 2 and internal staff are ongoing about how best to use that program.
