Space available at county jail
From our weekly issue dated February 11, 2009
Most Josephine County residents likely never will see inside the county’s adult jail on F Street in Grants Pass.
But recent approval of additional staffing positions for the county sheriff’s office means that more criminals could soon become familiar with every nook and cranny at the jail.
The new facility opened in 2000 and has a capacity of 265 beds. Despite that, Lt. Robin Ward, jail commander, said that it’s never held more than 210 inmates. As of Tuesday, Feb. 3, approximately 105 jail beds were occupied.
“It runs much better if it’s at full capacity,” Ward said. A breakdown of the jail population reveals the seriousness of the crimes for which its inmates are charged.
As of Wednesday, Jan. 28, 8 percent of inmates were suspected of murder; 26 percent were being held for assault charges; 17 percent were incarcerated for sex crimes; 28 percent for property crimes; 11 percent for drug violations; 27 percent for parole or probation violation; and 5 percent were being held for federal crimes.
Ward said that some inmates are being held for misdemeanors, but that nearly a quarter are being incarcerated for Measure 11 crimes. Approximately 22 Measure 11 offenders were being held as of Wednesday, Feb. 4.
“A majority of the inmates are here for felonies,” she said.
Among current occupants is 19-year-old Timothy Waddell, awaiting trial for the Dec. 10, 2007 murder of former Cave Junction Mayor Tom Green.
Ward said that when the jail first opened, “We took everybody.” But, she noted, roller-coaster funding and staffing has forced cuts.
For example, Ward said that the jail intake and booking area was shut down a few months ago. Two deputies and one booking clerk are needed to operate that portion of the facility, which contains six holding cells.
Inmates still are photographed and fingerprinted there, but correction deputies staffing the jail have been concentrated in one portion of the facility for the sake of accessibility.
“We just kind of consolidated to one area,” Ward said.
All inmates are categorized by gender, the type of crime committed and their severity. There are even subcategories for varied types of sex offenders.
Some inmates, including those who are suicidal, or who have behavior or medical problems, are kept in “suicide cells” and monitored via video camera. Ward said state law requires that all inmates be checked every hour.
Some free services are offered to inmates. Church groups, Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA) meet regularly inside the premises. Aside from that, Ward said that inmates have the opportunity to enhance their education levels.
“A lot of inmates get their GED every year,” she said. “We encourage them to get their GEDs.”
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In an attempt to reduce recidivism, Ward said, courses on cognitive restructuring were offered at the old jail, but budget cuts caused them to fall by the wayside. She added that AA and NA classes “always suffer first” when cuts are being made.
Several inmates also are able to shave time off their sentences by working in the jail cafeteria or laundry room.
But sometimes, staffing limitations force jail deputies to release some inmates prematurely. Under those circumstances, a formula is used. It involves consideration of factors including the inmate’s bail amount, remaining sentence, and types of crimes.
Ward has been working at the jail for more than 10 years now. Prior to that, she worked at the Clatsop County Jail for two and a half years.
During that time, Ward has encountered any number of inmates. She said that she used to keep the hope that many of them eventually would turn their lives around, but became disappointed as several ended up dead or being taken to federal prison for more severe crimes.
“We try to point people in the right direction,” Ward stated. “We want them to do well.”
She has learned a lot about crime and punishment during her law enforcement career. At one point, she said, a grandfather, father and son were locked up at the same time.
“We have generations come through here,” Ward said. She has even seen one inmate get released, just to come back three more times that day.
“I’ve had somebody back within the hour,” she said.
But Ward is optimistic that the new staffing plan will better enable the sheriff’s office to protect the public from the worst criminals that the county has to offer.
Some of the positions created through the staffing plan already have been advertised within the sheriff’s office, Ward said, and are closed. Volunteers and reserve officers can apply for those slots, because they already have some degree of training with the department.
Another announcement will be made soon to the general public. Ward said she hopes to have those positions filled between April and July.
Once those positions are filled, Ward said the county’s criminal justice system will be better able to enforce parole and probation violations. Persons charged with assault and burglaries, who would currently be cited and released, would instead find themselves behind bars while awaiting trial.
Because, as Ward and anyone else who’s been inside the jail knows, there’s more than enough room for all of them.
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