Discussions on the Work Release Center are ongoing.

The Warren County Prison Board once again revisited the idea of separating out a portion of the population that could more easily take advantage of the jail’s work release program, and perhaps take advantage of other services from area agencies as well.

The discussion has been going on for at least a year. Now, said Commissioner Ben Kafferlin, it’s time to firm up plans. Rather than tabling the proposition of getting a work release center together, Commissioner Kafferlin said that it’s time for serious plans to be put on paper. To that end, Kafferlin nominated Commissioner Jeff Eggleston and Warren County Fiscal Director Judy Albaugh to sit on the committee responsible for Work Release Center issues, which also includes Commissioner Cindy Morrison, John Parroccini, and John Collins.

Warden Collins reported that the average daily population for the Warren County Jail in the month of June was 113 inmates, with the maximum number during June being 120. Of those, Collins said, 67 were sentenced in June with 47 sentenced to state facilities and 14 sentenced to the WCJ. Twelve of those 14 were male and two were female, Collins said, and all 14 were work release eligible.

A movement to terminate the contract with Steve Sigmund regarding the WCJ elevator proposal and pay for work completed so far before engaging with the engineering firm retained by the county was approved and will be followed through in the coming weeks.

The Prison Board also supported Commissioner Jeff Eggleston’s desire to move forward with the Stepping Up Initiative, a national effort to address and reduce the number of people with mental illness in jail. As the closing of state hospital forensic units across the state has made a population of people with mental health issues who commit crimes the problems of jail personnel, corrections officers and other law enforcement officials are being asked to learn how to appropriately interact with and solve the problems of people with mental health or dual diagnoses in prison settings.

Commissioner Kafferlin asked that a more detailed set of data be populated to give a better insight into how many people in the WCJ currently have mental health issues, what those issues are, and other demographics that can help them tie together the efforts toward creating a work release center and otherwise streamlining corrections efforts to reduce recidivism and more safely care for inmates and protect the county.

The next Prison Board meeting is scheduled for August 29 at 1:30 p.m. in the Commissioners Meeting Room in the Warren County Courthouse.