- Sheriff Schuette and Captain Stewart show the safety and overcrowding concerns at the Jackson County Jail.
- Temporary concerns have been made to fix some major issues, but many safety concerns remain.
- Due to plumbing issues, the floors and ceilings consistently leak with sewage.
- There are several blind spots that aren't visible on security cameras, causing safety concern for jail staff.
- The jail also struggles with extreme overcrowding, leading to attacks at the second facility, due to the inability to give certain inmates the security levels they require.
Captain Anthony Stewart shares, "I've been in the business for over 35 years, and this facility is by far in the worst conditions of any facility I've been involved with.
Jackson County law enforcement says they're in desperate need of updates at the Jackson County Jail. Sheriff Gary Schuette says the issues inside are only getting worse, but so far, attempts to fund those repairs have been unsuccessful.
During a walk through with Sheriff Schuette and Captain Stewart, they pointed out several extreme safety concerns within the jail. Some of the major issues included plumbing and sewage leaks. Others included blind spots and inability to see if inmates or staff are in danger in certain corners and hallways in the jail. Another concern is the antiquated facility, leaving some officers having to fumble through dozens of keys from the 1800s to get to the cells they need.
Schuette also says one of the jail's major issues is overcrowding. There are 185 beds in the Wesley Street facility, and 252 in the Chanter Road facility.
Schuette explains, "It is a safety issue with the staff, because sometimes we have to put inmates of higher classification levels on Chanter Road, because we can't let them go. We've had assaults on Chanter Road because of that, and then there's been problems here, not having enough bed space for the arrests that come in. Often times, we're over capacity here, and under capacity on Chanter Road."
There have been some temporary fixes to the issues, but leaders are still searching for something permanent.
"We expect at some point the temporary fix is going to fail, and it's just going to be more money going into the temporary fix to get the next temporary fix," Schuette continues.
In 2022, voters rejected a 1.0 millage in the election. It will be up to the County Commissioners if the issue makes it to the ballot again.
Captain Stewart concludes, "We have some amazing staff. Some of the best professionals I've ever worked with, and they're working in inhumane conditions."
There will be more to come from FOX47 News, in regards to the conditions and concerns at the jail.
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