RITZVILLE, Wash. — Adams County is paying more overtime for corrections staff at the Adams County Jail, even though no inmates are currently being held in the facility.
According to Jail Commander, Kelly Watkins, safety and budget issues are keeping the jail understaffed and from housing inmates.
All inmates of the jail are housed in other jails, sometimes hours away. The county is paying overtime to corrections officers who transport inmates back and forth from the facility for court dates and other meetings.
Currently, the Adams County Jail is down two full-time staff members, but hopes to add nine people if it can secure the funding it needs from county commissioners.
A fight between inmates and staff in 2022 made the county reconsider how safe the jail is and move all inmates to other facilities between Benton and Franklin County.
“There was an incident that happened a couple years ago that caused us to bring inmates to other facilities. Since then, the staffing levels have dropped, but we’re starting to bring them back up,” said Cmdr. Watkins.
Moving inmates between different facilities has proved costly for the county.
“On Mondays, on court days, we bring them up here before the judge and then we bring them back down to their respective facilities where they’re being housed,” said Cmdr. Watkins.
Safety and logistical issues at the jail include problems with manual locks, electricity and the HVAC system.
“They’ve awarded a contract to a firm to come in and evaluate the jail and see where we’re deficient and put together a prioritized list of what needs to be done,” said Cmdr. Watkins.
She said she hopes the commissioners will approve the funding so the jail can make essential improvements, increase staffing and begin housing inmates again.
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