Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Jail Security topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Chelan County Jail details cameras, canine unit and medical sensors to improve safety
Summary
The jail director described recent investments—an $800,000 camera upgrade, a body scanner, mail screener and a canine program that located contraband strips—alongside 68 medical sensors used to monitor inmates undergoing detox and reduce fatalities.
Chelan County Jail Director Chris Sharp summarized security and medical upgrades the facility has implemented in recent years. "We did, about $800,000 camera upgrade," Sharp said, and listed a body scanner, a mail screener that detects multiple drug types and a canine program that helped find contraband: "Last month, we made the dog found 23 small strips in the mail." The director linked cameras and visible detection to a roughly 60% reduction in assaults after the camera installation.
Sharp also outlined medical monitoring upgrades paid in part by opioid funding: sensors installed in single‑occupancy cells now number 68 and monitor heart rate and breathing, automatically alerting staff to rapid deterioration so officers can begin CPR or use an AED. He described the operational burden of hourly checks and the staff time required to care for people experiencing severe withdrawal.
