Comments on: Sheriff Requests $95 Million Budget, Up $18.8 Million

By: LegalEagle

LegalEagle — Fri, 03 May 2013 10:15:56 +0000

I think the BOCC should give him what the ECSD got last year LESS 20%…

By: Justin Butler

Justin Butler — Thu, 02 May 2013 20:39:46 +0000

To our friendly commenter above, “Pretrial Services” is the biggest smoke and mirrors game known to humanity. It takes advantage of a needy citizenry and fails to solve the underlying, proximate cause. “Pretrial Services” will cost taxes payers in direct expenses and indirect expenses not EVER calculated by the fancy reports that often recommend these programs. The Sheriff would be better served to simply open up the doors and let the inmates out and save the cost of “Pretrial Services”. Washington DC is one of the few cities that utilizes almost strictly this system and they cost the tax payers almost $100 million per year and their results are no better than any other release option. “Pretrial Services” is a Criminal Welfare system that likes to propagate separate but equal standards.

The REAL solution is to stop arresting people for offenses that are not deemed criminal by society. We need to stop allowing the court system to act and focus on strictly monetary goals. To say that we arrest too may people, so why have any accountability…is not intelligent. How well do you believe that people follow the speed limit if there were no speeding tickets? How many people would pay speeding tickets if warrants were not issued? How about if no one would arrest you if you were stopped and found to have a warrant for a speeding ticket? This what “Pretrial Services” is, while LYING to the public about how it saves money. Pretrrial’s propaganda machine needs to stop and needs to start being held accountable for the people that are being killed around the country because they want to release people from jail with no supervision and no accountability.

By: AAM

AAM — Thu, 02 May 2013 13:41:26 +0000

Ok Fishhook even though I agree they need a raise tell me where it comes from? If you make 30,000 a year and your bills are 30,000 a year where do you get the money? It’s not that everyone doesn’t think they need a raise its just how do you pay for it year after year.
Maybe one of the idiots has some ideas?

By: fishhook240

fishhook240 — Thu, 02 May 2013 02:08:48 +0000

You idiots that don’t want to see an increase for the sheriff dept. only need to spend a day in the CO shoes. Once you work only one shift you would hauling butt down to the BOCC and demanding a raise for these officers and good one at that. It is easy to set outside and judge someone else’s job and think they got it made. But the truth is there ant no one lining up at the door to apply for these jobs. You sat in a room by yourself with 80+ criminals that can’t stand you guts and you let your guard down for a second and it would been on. Just remember that you would be locked in that room with 80+ criminals with help 30 seconds to a couple of minutes away. Remember these people ant saints and most surely don’t go to church and surely can’t be trusted. Never mind you haven’t had a raise in seven years, come on that surely ant fair to anyone. Some might even say that if they don’t like they could find another job, good who’s going to watch them now. If this is a job you want to do there’s openings, if this is a job you say you would never do then you need to give them a raise. Make your choice

“PUT UP OR SHUT UP”

By: well

well — Thu, 02 May 2013 01:12:41 +0000

So many good thoughts. Add in the fact that the BCC would like to help its employees that have gone as long without a raise and it should be a very entertaining Budget Season.

Unfortunately!

By: Lucy

Lucy — Wed, 01 May 2013 21:59:49 +0000

Leave balances accrued upon years of service by detention officers, who have not been granted the opportunity to use them, are being paid at 50 cents on the dollar. However, this is only a portion of their leave, as approved in the contract. The rest of the leave is forfeited.
As for jail staffing, I want to be a secretary under Morgan and make $50,000 a year; every person who is anybody, is assigned a secretary.
As for jail staffing of detention officers, each detention shift has a required minimum manning which has yet to be met. These shortages cause a public safety hazard, not to mention an officer safety hazard.
This is all public record, and Morgan addressed some of these issues this morning on Talk Radio.

By: No Excuses

No Excuses — Wed, 01 May 2013 21:57:03 +0000

@ David,

It gets to the point, though where doing more with less endangers lives. If you’ve not worked corrections, you have no idea.

The joke where I work is, “I’ve done so much with so little for so long I am now qualified to do anything with nothing.” It takes money to conduct a criminal justice organization, especially considering that men and women in both the police force and the corrections arena risk their lives daily for peanuts and poor working conditions.

By: Doug Masters

Doug Masters — Wed, 01 May 2013 21:49:13 +0000

Good Job, Sheriff. Always trying to take care of his employees so they can take care of the citizens of this county.

By: David

David — Wed, 01 May 2013 20:51:28 +0000

I wished I could ask for that percentage of increase for my pay check and then when I don’t get my way..threaten to contact the governor

Like my boss says..do more with less anymore..
Mr. Morgan needs to adhere to what we all have to do in the world..suck it up and stop the drama

By: Jason

Jason — Wed, 01 May 2013 19:05:41 +0000

@ taxpayer:

While the jail population has decreased from the extremely high count in 2004 to a somewhat lower levels seen in 1999, the employee staffing levels have also fallen. Many of the positions were left unfilled to shift taxpayer dollars from salaries to operating costs. Shifts that were once staffed at 36 lines officers now staff 28 officers. Due to the constant departure of employees these same shifts average only 28 officers – Currently one shift only has 22 officers, the remaining 3 have 26 officers.

The classification unit currently has 1 civilian, 2 line officers and 1 supervisor to conduct the initial classification and then subsequent reviews required monthly by accreditation standards. While the daily population average 1400+ the actual number of reviews is extremely higher as each arrest that results in someone being held overnight will require classification oversight. The actual numbers of arrestees passing thru and having classifications review is extremely higher.

The laundry operates with 2 civilians and 3 Line Officers.Inmates are used to move laundry items from washer to dryer and then fold….somebody has to pick up and deliver clean laundry to those 1400+ people. By FMJS standards that’s clean bed linen weekly, clean jumpsuits twice weekly, and clean personals twice weekly. Ever done laundry for 1400 people in a week?

Custodial services operates with a total of 5 civilian employees. One is used to maintain floor in both detention facilities. There are two custodial employees in each facility. The jail once had 17 civilians doing the job these 5 people do now. Each one of these civilians oversee a group of inmates workers who help perform the cleaning activities. These 5 people generally conduct cleanup in the common area’s while inmates clean their living areas.

Noted were three areas. Each extremely understaffed. To assists these three areas require assistance from security personnel. Their assistance to ensure job tasks are completed (night, weekends, holidays) . When security personnel must assist assist with the above noted functions, it limits just what can be done in supervising/watching those incarcerated. How effective can 1 officer be in watching 70 to 96 inmates? Quite often thats the ratio 1 officer supervising 70 to 96 inmates.

When citizens complain we should reduce bonds and shorten sentence’s, these are the same citizens screaming why did this guy only have a $50,000 when he should have been locked under the jail. Or, complaining that the career criminal only received a short sentence instead of doing life for his crime. Take the time to review the clerk of the court website and look at the number of prior arrest and convictions those being booked each day possess. Its a never ending cycle. Far too often those being arrested have committed far more crimes than what can be proven they committed. If anything I am more in favor of higher bonds and longer sentences. To many of our fellow citizens would prefer to steal than earn a living.

This only touches the tip of the iceberg. The need in the jail is great. Many simply could not fathom the daily events that are being accomplished considering the longevity of understaffing within the facility. The Criminal Justice study commissioned by the BOC and the pending DOJ report will highlight the extreme need for additional personnel.