After a long tough search, the Warren County Jail has grown their staff of just two Correctional Officers up to nine, in the expectancy of the jail to reopen in early January. Warren County Sheriff Martin Edwards reports the jail has been undergoing improvements over the past several months with hopes to ensure the reopening:
“We have had nobody in the back so we have done some improvement work that needed to be done. We are making improvements to the shower stalls and doing some work on other things. We are getting the jail ready to go for when we get everyone back. Medical providers went away, the Henderson County Health Department decided they did not want to do it, so I am signing contracts with to get them in place. There is a lot of little things to care of ahead of time, so it all comes together at once. We know it has been costly and a huge inconvenience for us and the city on having to make transfers up and back to Mercer County. It’s not all doom and gloom despite the $40 a day per person up there,” shares Edwards.
Sheriff Edwards still foresees a turnover of employees will be an issue in the future, and is trying to address the problem as they can.
Currently a study is being commissioned at the jail now to survey the structure of the building and what will need to be addressed in the future. Edwards shares more:
“We have had an individual there this last week, not only looking at the structure but how we process based on the layout of the facility. They are looking at past numbers to look effectively on what the needs will be in the future. Essentially develop what we should be doing to have an adequate facility. Is it possible to repair, renovate, or add on to the current one? The point of the matter is the building has become so old. Is it just better to start all over again? This is something we will look at comprehensively and unemotionally and give a report we can all look at and make opinions on,” Edwards states.
Edwards states they are in talks of changing visiting days to Wednesdays and Saturdays, but more will be released at a later time.
With a new administration about to take over Springfield, there has been discussion on legalizing recreational marijuana in Illinois. Warren County Sheriff Martin Edwards shares how it could affect the department:
“I think our biggest concern will be driving under the influence. I have not seen anything yet as far as a cutoff level. Certainly we do not have any adequate filed testing as we do with alcohol. There is a head long rush to get this out there without thinking of all the concerns that come along with it. If that is the way the state is going to go I will go on record I am not for it because it will provoke all these other problems,” reports Edwards.
Listen to Edwards’ entire interview below:
