Sheriff presents annual reports

The population at Jay County Jail has grown each year since its expansion. That trend continued in 2013.
Sheriff Ray Newton updated Jay County Council Monday about the jail and other law enforcement statistics, noting that the average jail population jumped by 17 last year.
The council also tabled a decision about conducting a new wage study.
Newton reviewed his annual reports with council members Mike Leonhard, Gary Theurer, Cindy Newton, Bob Vance, Ted Champ and Jeannie Houchins, telling them the average daily inmate population at the jail was 94 in 2013. That’s up from 77 in 2012 and 71 in 2011.
More than 30 percent of Jay County Jail’s inmate population comes from outside the county.
“Last year was probably a very good year for us as far as housing Department of Corrections and out-of-county inmates,” said Newton of the jail, which expanded in 2010 and has a capacity of 142. “I wasn’t expecting to house as many Delaware County inmates. They are overcrowded.”
The sheriff’s department spent $87,475.41 on meals in 2013, including $20,914.96 for Delaware County inmates and $5,821.20 for inmates from the Indiana Department of Corrections. The department was reimbursed $86,870 from the DOC and $391,510 from Delaware County.
Newton touted both the money brought in from reimbursements for housing out-of-county inmates as well as overall money saved on meal costs. The projected cost, based on spending $1.83 per meal, for the 99,016 meals the jail served in 2013 is $181,199.28, which is $93,723.87 more than was spent.
“It takes everyone to get this amount,” said Newton. “It’s not just me. It’s the matron. It’s everybody.”
In addition to the jail information, Newton presented the council with the sheriff’s office activity report for 2013.
Deputies drove a total of 275,934 miles, making 1,587 traffic stops, investigating 368 accidents and writing 238 citations. They made 406 arrests, including 86 for drunk driving.
There were 5,184 calls to 911, 2,095 EMS runs and 363 fire department runs.
Newton also fielded questions from council members about staffing and video visitation.
Staffing at the jail continues to be an issue, he said, adding that he expects that trend to continue until pay and benefits improve. He also indicated that he feels video visitation has been a positive in terms of safety, but that he has heard complaints from some family members about not getting to see their loved ones face-to-face.
“Video visitation is meant to keep the inmates in the cell blocks,” he said. “That means we don’t have them moving around, because it is a big risk. That’s one reason why we went with it.”
Auditor Nancy Culy asked council abut the possibility of doing another wage study.
Council in 2011 commissioned a wage study by Waggoner, Irwin Scheele and Associates, Muncie, and has been adjusting wages since then in order to bring the county more in line with others in the state. Culy said a review of the county’s numbers would cost about $4,000.
“I’m asking now because they gave us a plan,” said Culy. “I’m at the end of that plan with what I was trying to do.
“I just want to make sure I’m in the right spot.”
After some discussion, council decided to table the issue to allow its newer members to review the 2011 study and to look into how often other counties complete such studies.
In other business, the council, absent Mike Rockwell:
•Approved $65,762.10 from the infrastructure fund for chip and seal work on county roads, $86,974.86 from innkeepers tax funds for the visitor and tourism bureau and a total of $113,631 as outlined by the Federal 2014 Clean Water Act Section 319 grant for studying and developing a plan to improve water quality in the Salamonie River.
•Reduced the budget line item for workman’s compensation by $9,900.
•Heard from Newton after a question from Houchins that the jail will accept book donations for its library. He said any donations must be paperback.[[In-content Ad]]