Running jail poses many challenges

Most people, unless they work in the criminal justice or corrections fields, probably aren’t aware of everything it takes to run a county jail. That thought crossed our mind after reading a News-Herald story on the Lake County Jail’s annual report from 2018.

The report shows how the administrators, corrections officers and staff at the Lake County Jail have a lot to deal with in meeting the needs of prisoners who call the place their temporary home.

For example, the jail must address the effects of drug abuse and addiction, which seem to plague a fair share of people who are incarcerated.

It’s interesting to note that 2018 marked the 25th anniversary of the start of the Jail Treatment Program. Larry Smith, who oversees the program, said during a Sounds of Ideas taping last March that when the treatment program began in August 1993, a majority were there because of a problem with alcohol. By 2016, there were four times as many people there for opioid treatment than any other kind.

Smith said the jail’s treatment helps 36 people at a time who are serving that last 30 days of their sentence, usually for a crime related to their addiction.

In 2018, 363 inmates completed the program — 238 men and 125 women. There were 319 who completed the program in 2017, according to the report.

Helping prisoners with physical illnesses or injuries also is a big responsibility for the Lake County Jail.

The cost of medical services in the jail was about $923,656 last year, up from $819,484 the year prior. Those costs include the salaries of the nurses, physician and dentist.

“This is a constant reminder of the increasing cost of medical programming in the coming years,” the report stated. “Pressing issues in 2018 include responding to growing demands by the judiciary to provide 24-hour medical care by licensed doctors and nursing staff, as well as the continual plague of frivolous jail litigation by inmates.”

Pharmaceutical costs incurred from the jail were about $216,796 last year, but because of reimbursements, that actual cost to the jail was $98,791.

Another aspect of ensuring the well-being of prisoners is to provide them with mental health services when issues arise.

Mental health professionals received 1,840 inmate referrals last year, down from 2,089 in 2017.

A part-time psychiatrist contracted with the jail was called to consult with 499 inmates on 528 occasions due to the seriousness of their mental health conditions, according to the report.

Keeping the Lake County Jail safe also requires officers and administrators to prevent contraband from being smuggled into the institution.

“Although contraband has been a problem in jails for many years, the issue has become increasingly problematic given the heroin epidemic that is plaguing jails across our country and intensified in Ohio,” Lake County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Frank Leonbruno wrote in a 2017 letter to Lake County commissioners.

In December 2015, two Lake County Jail inmates died in a 12-hour period from drug overdoses from heroin smuggled into the jail. Last March, another inmate died from a heroin overdose. Leonbruno believes that inmate smuggled heroin into the jail by hiding it in his body cavity.

Inmates use their body cavities to bring in contraband, knowing that officers cannot search there without probable cause and a judicial order because of their Fourth Amendment rights concerning search and seizure, Leonbruno said.

The Lake County Jail now has a full body scanner. The purchase of the equipment was approved by the county commissioners in 2017. Leonbruno said at that time that drug smuggling is the “greatest scourge facing jails today.”

In 2018, 12,663 scans were conducted in the jail. Those scans resulted in three positive scans for contraband, including a crack pipe and other drug paraphernalia, according to the report.

Thorough pat-downs from corrections officers also resulted in the confiscation of two guns before they were able to be brought into the secure perimeter of the jail.

In conclusion, we believe that anyone who carefully reads the 2018 report will come away convinced that operating the Lake County Jail is an expensive and challenging endeavor. It’s also a document that helps you appreciate the work done every day by all of the people who help to keep the jail running safely and smoothly.