Jail staffing levels are discussed

Scott County Commissioner Martin Priggel shows county mayors the recreational room at the new Scott County Jail Tuesday afternoon (photo by Tim Jaynes, Staff)

BENTON - Scott County commissioners and Sheriff Bill Ferrell will meet today with Circuit Judge David A. Dolan to discuss staffing levels for the new county jail.

Ferrell and sheriff's department senior officers met with commissioners during their regular session Tuesday to discuss the jail's staffing as well.

A jail staffing analysis manual produced by the National Institute of Corrections was brought along by Ferrell which advised that every jail is different - staffing levels can not be determined by using ratios from other facilities.

Jamie Burger asked if the sheriff's proposed staffing was overloaded with middle-management positions.

"Our whole thing is the money situation," said Martin Priggel, presiding commissioner.

"What we don't want is for somebody to get hurt," Ferrell cautioned. "We've got to have enough people."

Ferrell said they will not only need to train new people to expand his staff for the new jail, but they will also need to train existing staff on the new facility.

In other business covered during Tuesday's county commission meeting, John Felter and Pat Hulshof provided an update on the proposed drainage district south of State Highway E and east of Highway 61 except what is in the Big Lake Drainage District.

They reported that Norman Lambert has tentative boundaries drawn up for the new drainage district. The new district will abolish the old county-court controlled districts and include an area surrounded by but never included in the old districts.

Following their regular meeting, commissioners met with mayors from Scott County over lunch and later toured the new jail with them.