Commissioners suggest sheriff hire on-call jailers

McCOOK, Nebraska -- Red Willow County, Nebraska, commissioners encouraged the county's sheriff and jail administrator to check into hiring part-time "on-call" jail staff to help the county ensure compliance with state jail standards.

Sheriff Gene Mahon told commissioners that the state recommends at least two jailers on staff at all times, with one male and one female jailer preferred. Mahon said he would like to be in compliance with the recommendation before an inspection by the state's jail standards division field representative on March 5.

The county has seven jailers and jail administrator Gerry Hunter who staff the county's detention center (the former City of McCook 96-hour holding cells) 24 hours a day. Four personnel are males, four are females, Hunter said.

It's been a challenge on weekends, Mahon said, to provide two on staff at all times. Mahon said that the jail budget would support filling 1 1/2 additional jailer positions, which would be good until the county moves into its new jail facility.

Mahon told commission chairman Earl McNutt that although the staff of the sheriff's office -- six officers, including himself -- help out at the jail when they can, "we're not overstaffed there either." Mahon explained that those officers are trying to increase visibility of officers by keeping the county patrolled well day and night (to cut down on the rash of recent burglaries), and keep the weekends covered as well.

It is the sheriff's personnel who also transport prisoners, he added. Depending on the prisoner, some transports should have two officers, he said.

Mahon said that although he has already taken one officer out of the sheriff's department and onto the jail staff, he does not want to have to pull deputies off the county roads and highways as a regular practice.

Commissioner Vesta Dack, who serves on the state's jail standards board, said that adequate jail staff "is good prevention" for disruptions by prisoners and liability claims against the county. "No one should ever be by himself or herself at any time," Dack said. "We have to protect ourselves -- our staff and the county."

Mahon said, "Gerry (Hunter) and his staff have done a lot to get us into compliance. I don't want to be in a situation where we might be out of compliance."

Hunter said that if the county's detention center were to fall out of compliance, it might be quite a process to again meet state standards.

McNutt said he is reluctant to hire more county employees, not at a time when the county is exploring the possibility of eliminating a department and its staff. (Commissioners are discussing the possibility of consolidating the county's health department with the Southwest Nebraska Public Health Department.) McNutt said the public is already frustrated by talk of consolidating the health departments, as well as by the lack of progress in the solving of burglaries. "It's tough then to hire more (staff)," he said, adding that he "highly encourages the use of staff we already have," or explore the possibility of hiring part-time jailers.

Hunter said "the bare minimum" to meet compliance may be part-time staff members (trained and certified) who could respond on an "on-call" basis on weekends and week-day court days. Mahon said that hiring two part-time jailers may be the answer. "I have no problem with that," Mahon said. Hunter agreed, "It would work if one could help during the week and one on the weekends."

"We have got to be in compliance," Dack said, concluding, "We need to do what we need to do to be in compliance."