Wednesday, March 12, 2003
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Wednesday, March 12, 2003 |
| New Fayette jail open for business
By JOHN MUNFORD
Fayette County's new 384-bed jail is up and running. The facility boasts seven different living areas and 119 different video cameras that are monitored at the central control room. Three of the living areas, called dormitories, have bedding in the open, bunk style, while the other four have two-man cells that lock shut, said Maj. Robert Glaze, who oversees jail operations for the Fayette County Sheriff's Department. "Some people require a little more supervision and a little more structure than others," Glaze said, noting that the average inmate only stays at the jail approximately 17 days. Each living area features: A bank of phones which inmates can use to make collect calls; A visitation area on the second floor where inmates can use a phone system to converse with friends and family; An exercise "yard" consisting of an walled-in concrete area that features a basketball hoop; A "quiet" multipurpose room where inmates can attend Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous meetings and also have a place to read; A series of plastic chairs that can be filled with sand if necessary to keep them in place. Jailers will start out by allowing inmates to move the chairs around as needed. A corrections officer controls all door access to each part of the living area from a main control panel inside each dorm. Each of the cells can be opened or shut individually, and all can be opened at the same time if necessary. The four living areas with the two-man cells have an intercom in each cell in case of emergency. The officer will remain in the area until lights out time, and other officers can keep an eye on the area from an observation tower up above, Glaze said. "The direct supervision concept is the best way to run a jail," Glaze said. Having the officer on duty inside the living area will discourage altercations among inmates, Glaze added. Each living area also has a number of plastic chairs and tables for inmates to use during their free time. The tables have a "gameboard" for checkers, chess and other games to help inmates pass the time; there's also a TV unit mounted high, and it's not a big screen model. The central control room for the jail features touch-screen computer controls for the doors, heating and air conditioning, fire alarm and emergency alarm system, Glaze said. There's also a 20-bed medical infirmary with beds in individual cells. That's where inmates will go for medical exams and evaluations; a separate entrance to the infirmary allows for emergency crews to enter there and transport prisoners to the hospital if necessary, Glaze said. The facility has a series of holding cells in two separate areas: one for incoming prisoners and one for those who are being released or transported. The incoming holding cell area also has bench seating that can be used for non-violent prisoners who are arrested and will bond out quickly. That way, those people aren't put into the general population, Glaze said. "We deal with a lot of people that come in and are out in a couple of hours," Glaze said. The administrative side of the jail has a training room which will also be used for roll call at the beginning of each shift. And there's a separate room for records to be kept, Glaze added.
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