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Corrections director reports rising admissions, staffing changes and GED backlog; board discusses mental-health placements
Summary
Douglas County Director of Corrections Michael Myers reported higher admissions in 2025, overtime costs, staffing turnover and programming numbers. Heather Robinson presented education data showing many younger detainees are IEP-eligible and the GED waitlist remains long; commissioners pressed for additional resources and flagged mental-health placement shortages.
Douglas County’s Director of Corrections told the Board of Corrections Jan. 27 that 2025 saw a rise in admissions and that the jail’s population and operations reflect growing demand for programming and medical services.
Director Michael Myers reported 1,263 admissions in December and a total of 16,377 admissions for calendar year 2025—about 1,000 more than recent years. He said $296,915 was spent on overtime in December and that the jail processed roughly $760,000 in bond payments. Myers also reported staffing churn: eight officers below sergeant and two sergeants left employment in December, including three retirements, and 26 cadets began academy training Jan. 5.
Myers highlighted program outcomes: placements in community corrections saved bed days, work release and house arrest admissions continued, and pretrial supervision and GPS monitoring were reported as cost-saving measures. On medical and behavioral health, the facility completed 1,048 intake screenings and 429 health assessments in December; there were 9 hospitalizations totalling 31 days and 151 initial psychiatric assessments.
Heather Robinson, educational and vocational services supervisor, presented a semi-annual census of detainees age 22 and under. Of roughly 170 in that cohort, 152 were available for interview; about 80 had not graduated high school or earned a GED while 75 had, and Robinson said "probably 60 percent of them are IEP eligible." Robinson said she is the sole instructor for the facility and estimated a 3-to-4-month wait for GED courses for many detainees because of turnover and capacity limits.
Commissioners pressed on racial disproportionality (board materials showed 66% of the population were minorities and 44% Black), staff injuries (13 staff injured in the month), and long-term care placement shortages at the Lincoln Regional Center; commissioners and staff called the statistics troubling and discussed potential staffing and program responses. Myers said the county is planning a mental-health unit to open in late 2026 and is working through staffing, training and programming needs for that unit.
Public comment included a resident who said the broader justice and long-term care system had failed a family member and urged scrutiny.
What’s next: The board discussed adding resources—including another education instructor—to reduce the GED waitlist and continued planning for the mental-health unit. No binding budget allocation was adopted during the session.
