The Payne County Board of Commissioners recessed its common weekly assembly on Monday to conduct its annual inspection of the Payne County Jail.
The five-story jail opened on July 5, 2009, changing a a lot smaller, out of date jail that commonly held greater than its designed capability of 54 inmates.
The brand new jail has a capability of 404 inmates, and a present census of 235 inmates, together with 35-40 federal prisoners who’re housed at a value of $45 per day.
The jail inspection was delayed by Chairman Chris Reding to examine the brand new physique scanner lately put in within the jail. It was bought at a worth of $122,000 by the commissioners who joined the BuyBoard Buying Cooperative situated in Austin, Texas to acquire the discounted worth.
Jail Administrator Capt. Reese Lane led the tour and suggested the commissioners that the scanner makes use of radiation to detect anomalies within the human physique, equivalent to steel objects and contraband that could possibly be smuggled into the jail. The scanner has prevented inmates from smuggling marijuana into the Payne County jail, Lane mentioned. Photos of the scan are reviewed by deputies when an inmate is booked into the jail.
In the course of the tour, Lane identified a particular wants pod for inmates coping with psychological well being points. After going by detox, inmates are evaluated for treatment by a part-time psychiatrist. When launched from jail, the inmate is referred to the Grand Lake Psychological Well being Heart for observe up providers. Offering psychological well being therapy stops the vicious cycle of the individual relapsing and returning to jail, he mentioned.
“Grand Lake has executed an unbelievable job slicing crimson tape to see the individual on the day of launch,” he mentioned. “I can’t say sufficient good issues about Grand Lake.”
The jail continues to take care of the COVID-19 pandemic. Lane mentioned inmates are examined once they seem sick. After a optimistic check, the inmate is positioned in isolation for ten days.
The jail permits visitation on Wednesday morning from 8:30 to 11:00 a.m. at a visitation room on the primary ground of the jail. The free service permits inmates to go to by phone remotely within the jail. For a charge, household and pals can even go to by a video name positioned from their residence. Since permitting video calls, the quantity of people that come to the jail for visitation has declined dramatically, Lane mentioned.
The Payne County jail has prevented the issues which have plagued the Oklahoma County jail because it was opened in 1991. Chairman Chris Reding noticed that the jail was effectively maintained and didn’t look a lot totally different from when it was opened in 2009.
In different enterprise, the commissioners eliminated a number of tasers from the stock of the Payne County Sheriff. The tasers are over ten years outdated and might be junked, Sheriff Joe Harper mentioned.
The commissioners chosen a bid from B&L Heating and Air Conditioning, Inc. to put in a brand new chiller for the jail. The choice was primarily based on Lane’s suggestion. He mentioned the bid of $282,000 was the very best, primarily based on the guarantee and repair provisions within the bid.
The commissioners authorized paying 129 weekly buy orders totaling 228,621. On the request of District 1 Commissioner Zach Cavett, the commissioners positioned one buy order for $221.85 to Atwood Distributing on maintain. The acquisition order was for a pair of metal toe boots to be paid from the Stable Waste Administration fund.
Cavett mentioned he want to have a uniform coverage on buying the boots. Staff in his division should buy metal toe boots at their very own expense.
Discover Mark A. Moore on Fb as Mark Moore SNP