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Corrections staff urge county to fund retention bonus, say overtime and jail problems persist
Summary
Corrections deputies and guild leaders told the Pierce County Council the jail is understaffed, citing thousands of overtime hours, facility disrepair and recent staff losses, and urged the council to fund retention bonuses and better support the sheriff’s department.
Several corrections deputies and guild representatives used the council’s community forum on Tuesday to press the Pierce County Council for action on jail staffing, retention bonuses and facility maintenance.
"We have worked 10,166.1 hours of overtime in the last 30 days," Howard Warren, who identified himself as a corrections sergeant and the guild’s sergeant-at-arms, told the council. He said his unit logged 1,053 incident reports in the recent reporting period, including 116 suicide reports, 26 assaults (four against staff) and multiple medical emergencies that required hospital trips. Warren said repeated lockdowns and daily cancellations of recreation occur because of staffing shortages and described ceiling and plumbing failures in the older jail facility.
"We're tired," said Shanlyn Evanga, corrections deputy guild president, who said deputies felt overlooked after a previous meeting and asked whether recently signed contracts or decisions would include corrections staff for any retention share.
Merle Pressler, a corrections deputy and the guild secretary, said many deputies could not attend because of mandatory overtime and called on the council to match proclamations about caring for community with concrete support for jail staff.
John Belizdale and other speakers raised broader public-safety concerns, arguing that deputies and the sheriff’s office need adequate funding and that facility deterioration is affecting public safety. Several commenters also referenced a sheriff public-service announcement and a separate high-profile officer-involved shooting that has raised community concerns about training and use of force; Judith, a caller, asked the council to respond to those issues and to clarify deputies’ and the public’s rights.
Council members did not take immediate action on the floor but were reminded of related meetings (including an upcoming flood-control board meeting) and of the ongoing community requests. Commenters requested the council ensure that any retention bonus or funding decisions account for corrections staff and front-line jail employees.
