What Could Happen Next?
A wave of firings, resignations, and the sheriff locked-up on federal charges--what could happen next?
An inspection by the Tennessee Corrections Institute now places the Rutherford County Adult Detention Center at-risk of losing state certification.
Inspections revealed that logs showed that inmates who were restrained in chairs or on suicide watch, were not being checked-on every 15-minutes, as required. The seriousness of that issue is validated when one inmate committed suicide by hanging himself with a telephone cord in the holding room, and other in the cell, both early this year.
Department of Insurance and Commerce spokesperson Kevin Walters indicated that after the Rutherford County facility failed its most recent inspection, they were recommending that the Board of Control decertify the local jail.
If that happens, it could mean higher insurance costs as well a greater chance of lawsuits filed against the county by inmates.
The Tennessee Corrections Board of Control is meeting in Nashville next Wednesday (12/7/2016) to discuss what actions they should take.
On the WGNS' Action Line, Mayor Ernest Burgess noted that the major infraction is that deputies are not properly monitoring inmates who might harm themselves.
The state recommends that four or five of the 12 new sheriff's office staff that was earlier approved by the county commission should be assigned to booking, so the prisoners can be properly monitred.
Reduce Jail Population
General Sessions Judge Lisa Eischeid holds court at the Rutherford County Adult Detention Center to give those in custody a hearing more quickly, and possibly reduce their lock-up time.
With the inmate population hovering around 800, officials are studying ways to reduce the number who are incarcerated.
The state's report showed that there were approximately 200 female inmates, and at times there are only two jailers on duty in that section. It gets worse when one has to go to the booking area, leaving only one person in the control room.
Rutherford County could also lose government contracts to house state and federal prisoners, which would be more income lost that is presently helping to defer some of the expenses from county taxpayers.
Jails that fail to meet the required standards, are given 60-days to fix them. If that can't be done, they must present a Plan Of Action to correct the infractions.
County Under Pressure
And while this is going on, the county commission is in the process of selecting an interim sheriff to serve Robert Arnold's unfinished term. That time frame is determined by the federal court trial in February 7, 2017, as well as the results of the ouster case.
The county is now under more pressure to complete the process and work to get the Rutherford County Sheriffs Office back in order. The interim sheriff could be hired at the January 12, 2017 Rutherford County Commission meeting.
