The Clark County Council took the first step to transfer the authority of the Clark County Jail from the county sheriff’s office to county government during its Sept. 20 meeting.
The council voted unanimously to establish a county department of jail services. The establishment will allow the county to take over the operation of the jail. It is intended to utilize countywide resources for its operation while allowing the Clark County Sheriff’s Office to focus on law enforcement, Clark County Manager Kathleen Otto said at the meeting.
Conversations about the county running the jail have taken place for years, Otto said. She said large jurisdictions across the state including Spokane and King County have had success using a similar model.
Otto said conversations on the transition plan were set to begin the day after the council meeting. The county didn’t have a set timeline for the transition, but Otto noted it took eight months in Spokane.
“I don’t want to put a specific time on this, because we want to get it right,” Otto said.
During the transition, she said the county will ensure continuity of service while making sure the sheriff, employees and other stakeholders are heard as the new management plan is developed.
Apart from greater access to countywide resources, Otto said the jail under county management could have an advisory board made up of individuals with specific expertise on what the jail should provide.
Otto said no employee will be displaced due to the transition. She said there is no recommendation on turning the jail over to a private operator.
When Otto discussed the move with Clark County Sheriff Chuck Atkins last week she said he expressed his support.
Several members of the public testified with concerns over the abruptness of the decision. They included both candidates for sheriff seeking to replace Atkins who is set to retire.
Acknowledging the jail has issues, sheriff’s candidate John Horch said with less than two months before the general election, the timing for the decision is off. Alongside a new sheriff, the Clark County Council will feature three new members after November’s ballots are counted.
Sheriff’s candidate Rey Reynolds was against the decision, saying the move would “take away from the voice of the people who elect the sheriff.”
“You may have the legal standing — you must, or you wouldn’t be putting this forward — but you have not consulted with the people of Clark County,” Reynolds said.
With the jail under a county department, Otto will be the top official responsible for jail operations. She said part of the transition will include hiring an individual with the correct expertise to do the actual day-to-day running of the facility.
Corrections officer Cindi Morrow said she is “excited and pleased” to hear of the creation of the department.
“We are at a breaking point. I am so looking forward to the opportunity to have a public administrator run that jail,” Morrow said. “It’s been neglected, we have been forgotten, and if you delay any further, there may be a time where there will be a catastrophic incident in the jail.”
Councilors pushed back on some of the assumptions made by the public, including notions the jail would be privatized.
“No one has mentioned the word ‘privatization’ until tonight. I don’t know where that came from,” Councilor Gary Medvigy said.
Medvigy admitted the decision and the timing of the election is “somewhat unfortunate,” but he said the transition will be the best use of county resources for the facility.
“We want to have the safest and best working environment possible, and it will benefit our inmates as well,” Medvigy said.
Councilor Richard Rylander said by beginning the process now, the new composition of the council will have enough information to work with when the county finally takes over operations.
“What this says to me is let’s explore what this could be and what it might look like, how it will be structured, so that when the new administration gets into place we have something to put in front of them so that they can then take action on it, and we will not have lost four-plus months on something that really does need attention,” Rylander said.
Councilor Temple Lentz pointed to numerous issues the jail has experienced in recent years, which includes Department of Labor and Industries complaints, accidents and lawsuits. Lentz said corrections staff and their union will be involved in the transition process.
“We’ve already heard from many corrections staff that they’re not just supportive, but enthusiastic about this change,” Lentz said.
Councilor Julie Olson said the jail’s work with other county departments like public health and community services will be more efficient. She refuted the notion that Atkins was “blindsided” by the decision.
“We’ve been talking about this since I’ve been on the council, for many, many years, and he’s been aware of the conversation,” Olson said.
