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Grant County officials weigh administrative overhaul and accreditation push for detention center
Summary
The county’s detention administrator outlined a five‑year restructuring plan to address staff shortages, rising mental‑health needs among detainees and accreditation goals, proposing new leadership and records positions and asking the commission for job descriptions and funding clarity.
Mister Anasola, the detention center administrator, told the Grant County Board of Commissioners on Dec. 9 that a proposed administrative restructuring and updated five‑year plan aim to stabilize staffing, meet accreditation standards and improve detainee care.
Anasola told commissioners that the facility faces high turnover and a growing population with more severe addiction and mental‑health needs, which has increased hospital transports and one‑on‑one suicide watches. "We have a lot more addicted detainees, that are a lot more sicker, a lot more medical issues, and significant mental health issues," he said, describing increased demands on medical and mental‑health staffing.
To respond, staff recommended creating or repurposing several positions over the next several years: a deputy warden to oversee accreditation, the RISE program and a presumptive‑eligibility determiner; promotion of a lieutenant to a captain to supervise training, transport and classification; a transportation and classification sergeant; and a civilian records manager to handle court paperwork, audit files and ensure release dates are entered correctly. The plan also requests two additional officer positions to raise security staffing from 30 to 32 posts.
Anasola said the state Health Care Authority has expressed willingness to help fund the records‑manager position with "between $30,000 and $60,000," which could speed hiring and improve court communications. He also described accreditation as a tool that reduces liability exposure and requires detailed documentation: "Your first accreditation, you'll have to provide proofs for a year…when they go on‑site they could randomly pull any file," he said.
Commissioners pressed for clearer, actionable job descriptions for the new administrative roles before approving changes. Commissioner Shelley said the proposed job summaries read largely as oversight duties and asked for specific responsibilities: "I'd like to see…what they're gonna do. Not just supervise. How are they gonna help you?" she said. Anasola said job descriptions for the captain exist and that deputy‑warden duties are being finalized.
Commissioner Flores asked how accreditation helps beyond service improvements; Anasola answered that accredited facilities can receive higher liability insurance coverage and present documented compliance in litigation, reducing taxpayer exposure. Several commissioners expressed support for increasing pay, implementing step plans and other recruitment/retention measures to reduce burnout and turnover.
Anasola also described near‑term operational details: the facility had an average daily population of 91 in November (high 100, low 85); he reported more hospital transports, some to Las Cruces and El Paso, and rising numbers of detainees on suicide watch. The RISE program had 22 participants in November (9 inside the facility, 13 in the community), he said.
Next steps identified in the meeting: staff will provide the commission with completed job descriptions for the captain and deputy‑warden roles and a formal staffing formula for accreditation purposes. Commissioners signaled openness to phasing positions into the five‑year plan but asked for clearer role definitions, budget consequences and concrete retention steps before approving the restructuring.
