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Show Join? survey upgrades Uirrt&h Counfy jail needs A joint study by local law enforcement en-forcement agencies show the Uintah County Jail deficient in meeting state standards, but since the study, the jail has been brought close to the standards and plans are being made to bring the jail up to standards. The study was initiated by the Uintah County Sheriff's Department and Vernal City Police because "both the sheriff and I am aware that jails are becoming the focal of civil liability," said Robert Downard, chief of police. "Using the expertise of Sam Smith, state correction officer out of the governor's office and former warden of the state penitentiary, and Lynn Lund, attorney, the Sheriff's Association formulated jail standards for the state," said Sheriff Arden Stewart. "These standards were adopted by us six months ago and we are working to bring the jail up to those standards," Stewart said. The local study reveals that to meet state standards, a limit of 18 fulltime residents are allowed at the jail. The jail can accommodate four in the 72-hour 72-hour holding facilities. The average population of full-time residents at the jail is 15, Stewart said. "You can see the problem if we arrest six persons, like the other night, and they turn into full-time residents at the jail," said Downard. 'Even without the predicted growth, within a year overcrowding at the jail will be hurting us" Stewart said. "Right now the corrections we have made will get us by." Because arrests made by the Vernal Police Department are handled in the Uintah County Jail, "we are in the same boat as the sheriff," Downard said. "The study identified the problem at the jail which resulted in reduced occupancy," Downard concluded. Another problem at the jail is contraband con-traband among prisioners. "We'll never stop contraband until visiting facilities are non-contact," Stewart said. Presently visitors at the jail have full contact. "We caught quite a few-passing few-passing contraband," Stewart said. Presently the Uintah County Sheriff's Department is forming a jail policy and procedure manual and a 5-year plan to upgrade the jail facilities. According to the study "the majority of the problems could be resolved with a good, detailed up-to-date policy and procedure manual." "There is no way we can expand existing facilities for future growth,' Stewart said. Local enforcement agenries are studying the possibilities of a central public safety building to house all agencies including the jail. |
