07-01-1991 - Laserfiche WebLink

Comm. Minutes--July 1, 1991 701 Sheriff Rudnick said there is insufficient staff in the jail because of the inmate population increasing from 70-90 per day recently, remodeling of the facility, and officers taking vacations. He would like to hire five additional staff prior to completion of the remodeling to allow time for training. He said there should be 35 full-time employees in the jail according to national standards, and he said Cass County has 18. He said adding staff reduces the chances for a lawsuit. Mr. Risher said he talked to the Sheriff last week about having a correctional department separate from the sheriff's department. The Sheriff said he uses jail staff at times for other functions. Mr. Risher asked about the volunteer force, and the Sheriff said there are about 17 people in the Sheriff's Reserve. Mr. Holm said he endorses the request for 5 additional staff because he feels they are extremely necessary. He said the issues with the present staff are training and keeping staff. Mr. Eckert government, said this is an important responsibility for and he thinks the jail has been understaffed. county Mrs. Toussaint thought the Sheriff's request is premature until remodeling of the facility is complete. Mr. Wieland said the Commission made a decision to defer construction of a new jail, hopefully buying about 10 years of time. He thinks the department should be allowed to grow to its necessary size to adequately provide for the needs of the county. Mr. Shannon said he sat down with Sheriff Rudnick about one year ago and discussions resulted in hiring the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) to conduct an organization, staffing and utilization of resources study of the Sheriff's Department. This past March, the Sheriff responded to the IACP report and indicated he would be seeking help with management and training programs. In the Sheriff's 1991 work plan, Mr. Shannon referred to item #7, which says the Sheriff will study the role of jail personnel. Mr. Shannon asked what the Sheriff has done about these items. The Sheriff said he can't solve the issues alone. Mr. Shannon referred to a grievance letter from jail staff, dated May 27, 1991, received by the Commission June 24, 1991, under cover letter from Sheriff Rudnick. Mr. Shannon said the grievance refers to the structure and how the facility is operated, and he doesn't think adding staff will solve the problems. He suggested that the Sheriff fulfill his promises to look at grading problems, management and training programs with management consultant Scott Kildahl. Mr. Wieland asked how the Commission can help, and Mr. Shannon said they could start by contacting Mr. Kildahl. He said an organizational plan could be put in place in about two weeks to address some of the problems that have been long-standing.