Joint jail committee sends outpatient drug treatment contract to fiscal courts

Published 11:18 am Sunday, January 15, 2017

Pending approval of the contract between Shepherd’s House and the Boyle County and Mercer County fiscal courts, plans to open a non-residential treatment center in the former Red Cross building in Boyle County can move forward.

Members of the Boyle and Mercer Joint Jail Committee meeting reviewed the contract during Friday’s meeting in Harrodsburg. They proposed a few changes to the contract, which will be made before the contract is given to the courts for approval.

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The contract lays out the responsibilities of the three entities, however Boyle County Attorney Richard Campbell requested more explicit responsibilities be included. He also asked that the clause for potential termination of the contract require 60 days notice.

Other changes, such as a minimum liability insurance, and making sure that the counties are not liable for Shepherd’s House’s fees if the entities had a dispute that ended in court, were discussed.

The contract also lays out a fee schedule, stipulating that the counties shall pay $11,000 monthly for the first 20 clients; an additional $7,000 monthly for clients 21-40; and another $7,000 monthly for clients 41-60, for a total of $25,000 per month if the program reaches maximum capacity.

Ideally, the non-residential treatment center would open on Feb. 1, but no other plans can move forward until the fiscal courts approve, which could happen on Jan. 24. It will likely be later, said Jailer Barry Harmon after the meeting, because the hiring process cannot begin until after the contract is approved.

The committee also learned about a plan to restructure the deputies at the Boyle County Detention Center, laid out by Chief Deputy Brian Wofford.

The plan, he said, is like one implemented in other facilities called the “Pittman Schedule.”

Currently, deputies work three 12-hour days followed by one 4-hour day.

“One things that we face — it’s in EMS, law enforcement — burn-out is an issue. We’re having problems with call-ins for sick time … That four hour day they’re tired and don’t want to come in, so they burn four hours to get 8 hours off,” Wofford said.

The proposed plan would build teams: day shift teams would have one lieutenant, one sergeant, one corporal, and four deputies; night shift teams would have one lieutenant, one sergeant, one corporal, and five deputies. They would work 12-hour shifts for three days in one week and 12-hour shifts for four days the next week, or 36 hours one week and 48 the next week.

“This will give us better coverage, will be safer for our deputies and give them time to recuperate,” he said.

It also gives the lieutenant, who is supposed to be in charge of the team, more responsibility and the opportunity to truly be the lieutenant. Wofford believes it will help with overtime, too, which is a recurring issue.

Harmon said he supported the plan “100 percent.”

A yearly breakdown of inmates showed:

• A total of 3,515 inmates came through the Boyle County Detention Center.

• The Boyle County Sheriff’s Office brought the most in, at 854; followed by the Danville Police Department at 830; and the Harrodsburg Police Department at 640.

• At highest count, there were 386 inmates incarcerated at the center at one time, while there were 254 at lowest count at one time, with an average of 330 inmates.

Follow Kendra Peek on Twitter, @knpeek.