The $36,000 in additional funding for law enforcement in the budget amendment approved by the county board of supervisors last week was needed for several reasons, according to sheriff Steve Haupert.
The most obvious reason is an increase in the average daily population at the county jail. In March, the average daily population was 11, compared to four in March 2013 and three in March 2012. Average for February of this year was eight, compared to three in February 2013 and six in February 2012. January was also higher than previously with an average daily population of six, compared to two in 2013 and five in 2012.
“I’ve been working here for eight years, and I’ve never seen it this full for this long,” said jailer Teresa Hatfield.
Many of the inmates are serving time after a probation revocation. Although the judgment entries filed in court require them to pay a $48 per day sheriff’s fee for the time they serve, far less than half that money is ever paid, Haupert said. Additionally, the county can collect no money from people held awaiting disposition of their case.
Also, Greene County Medical Center increased the charge for inmate meals from $3 per meal to $4.05 as of Jan. 1. Between the higher population and the increased cost, the tab for inmate meals, which averaged about $500 a month, has been $2,400 and $2,700 the past two months.
The jail has eight cells, all of which have been full several times in recent months. Cots are put into the prisoners’ day room and two interrogation rooms, and persons have even been held for short times in the small office that houses the photocopier and breathalizer equipment.
The overcrowding has created challenges in scheduling time to serve sentences on charges like drunk driving. “It’s gotten to be a ‘will call’ situation. The defendant tells us when he might be available, we tell him when we might have space, and we go from there,” Haupert said. He added that there are currently warrants outstanding for six or eight persons who would be in the jail if there were room.
Females have not been held in the Greene County jail since last September. Haupert explained that it’s not only a space problem, but that because of staffing requirements for holding women, it’s more cost efficient to send women to nearby counties. Greene County pays $55 per day to Carroll County, $50 per day to Dallas County, or $38 per day to Boone County for holding females.
Haupert said that in his years in law enforcement he has seen a shift from law enforcement dealing with criminal activity to being mediators of civil matters like fence disputes or child custody arguments. He said he has also seen a shortfall in the judicial system that allows for more repeat offenders, and that in some cases, people commit another offense before a court date has been set on the previous offense.
