County jail is lacking in staff

Staffing needs could turn into a liability for the county.

Jay County Commissioners heard Monday from Sheriff Ray Newton, who talked about the need to hire and retain more officers at Jay County Jail.

Newton explained the state jail inspector requested Jay County Jail undergo a staffing study, which was recently completed. Prior to this year, the jail last had a staffing study in 2014 at the end of Newton’s term as sheriff. (He has served two stints as sheriff, from 2007 to 2014 and from 2023 to the present.) At that time, noted Newton, the study indicated the department needed an additional nine correctional officers to safely staff the jail. Newton said Bill Wilson, Jail Services Coordinator with Indiana Sheriffs’ Association, has expressed the department still needs another nine correctional officers.

Plans are for Wilson and Newton to attend Jay County Council’s meeting Wednesday to discuss the matter in more detail.

Newton pointed out he doesn’t plan to ask for a budget increase to pay for a full nine new positions at the jail, but he will ask for additional funding. Newton explained the department will attempt to gradually add on the new positions over the next few years.

“We’re going to have a plan, you know,” he said. “I’m not asking for nine additional people in one year, (we) can’t do that, I know that. So, just something we want to look at and hopefully we can have a plan for the next couple years to try to get more people.”

Commissioner Rex Journay asked what the jail is lacking on, requiring more staff. Newton referenced different criteria the jail is unable to meet with the staffing shortage, such as having an officer in the booking area at all times and watching inmates on the floor. As more regulations are added to jail management over time, he continued, more staff is needed.

“We don’t have a choice, we have to do it,” he said. “It’s just a lot of things the state and the federal government is doing that make it very difficult for jails to be running, so, it’s just something we have to do or it comes down to liability, and we don’t want to get sued.”

Commissioner Chad Aker noted the topic will likely go to Jay County Personnel Committee for its recommendation before Jay County Council puts together the budget for 2025.

“Like you said, it’s a matter of safety,” he said, noting the department has also had difficulties keeping fully staffed. “At least, if we’ve got those positions available in our budget, that covers us from the jail inspection point.”

“The jail is the biggest liability that the county has,” added Aker.

Newton again highlighted the liability aspect with understaffing at the jail. He pointed out Jay County Jail is currently down four correctional officers.

“It’s something that needs to be done, there again, can we find them? I don’t know,” he said. “It’s just something that we’re going to have to work at, trying to get more money for them and competing with other counties. If we get our salaries up, we’ll start drawing people from other counties.”

“It’s about money,” he added.

In related business, commissioners heard Jay County Sheriff’s Office is looking for a new security officer for Jay County Courthouse. Dillon Mosier, who had worked in the position since 2021. (He worked as a jailer the previous year at Jay County Jail.) Mosier left the department April 1 for a position with Dunkirk Police Department. Newton pointed out Mosier cited health insurance as the largest reason for his departure.

Also Monday, commissioners OK’d Newton to purchase two laptops for $2,319.32 from Dell Technologies.