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Bedford County Prison Board approves Section 5 ‘Body Worn Cameras’ policy for county correctional facility
Summary
The Bedford County Prison Board on Jan. 22 approved Section 5, a body-worn camera policy for the Bedford County Correctional Facility (BCCF), citing PREA coverage and recent documented use-of-force incidents. The motion was made by Sheriff Wayne Emerick and seconded by Commissioner JR Winck.
The Bedford County Prison Board approved Section 5, the facility’s Body Worn Cameras policy, at its Jan. 22, 2026 meeting after the warden recommended the change.
Warden Joe Eichenlaub told the board the policy was discussed at the previous meeting and recommended final approval now; Sheriff Wayne Emerick moved the motion and Commissioner JR Winck seconded it. The minutes record the motion as approved; no roll-call vote totals were provided in the minutes.
Board members said the policy is intended to address inspection standards under PREA (the federal Prison Rape Elimination Act) and operational blind spots. The warden reported the facility inventory at 96 cameras and said the department is working to ensure there are no blind spots during PREA inspections. The minutes also note that two use-of-force incidents occurred recently and that documentation of those incidents was “excellent,” a reason the board cited for formalizing the camera policy.
The approval completes a formal review process started at an earlier meeting; the minutes show Commissioner Deb Baughman referenced that prior discussion when the motion was called. The minutes do not record board debate about policy language or a vote tally.
The board took the vote as part of the Warden’s broader operational report. No implementation timeline for the policy beyond the approval was included in the minutes.
