At a Vance County Board of Commissioners special called meeting Monday afternoon at 4 o’clock, a motion was voted on and passed 4 to 2 in favor of moving forward with an existing request for quote (RFQ) between the county and Mosley Architects for work at the existing jail as well as building a new jail.
Commissioner Tommy Hester made the motion, and it was seconded by Commissioner Leo Kelly.
The main idea appears to be to get an updated quote and find out the architect’s recommendation.
Sheriff Curtis Brame and Major William Mitchell spoke to commissioners at the regular monthly meeting a week ago, February 3, and emphasized the need to reach some decision about addressing the needs of the jail and to develop a plan of action.
The vote now will show state officials some progress here in Vance County, and it does put a plan of action into motion.
Following its most recent inspection in December, inspectors extended until February 21 the deadline for Brame and staff to address 88 deficiencies outlined in the inspection report. Mitchell indicated the commissioners’ decision would be helpful.
Commissioner Dan Brummitt said some officials in Granville County continue to be receptive to a regional facility and that it could be done, perhaps for less than $45 million. Brummitt spoke of a larger jail and voiced his opinion that a regional facility makes sense in the long run.
He and commissioner Valencia Perry voted against the motion.
Hester said he didn’t think four or five counties would work and said, “We’ve got to do what we have to do for the folks in Vance County and move forward. Hire the architect and move forward right now.”
Board chairperson Carolyn Faines indicated Vance County had been “back and forth with Granville County about the regional concept,” and she said she didn’t think it was going to work. She said she thought Granville would have given Vance a yes by now.
Major Mitchell voiced in the special meeting a scenario that would cut down or perhaps reduce or eliminate the need to spend money on the current facility.
Mitchell talked about keeping 20 detainees in house here at The Vance County jail and housing 80 at other facilities.
An open dorm and holding cell here would allow those arrested here locally to still be detained immediately before being moved to another holding location.
Mitchell said he had spoken with the chief jail inspector for the State of North Carolina, Chris Wood, and it is likely that the state would sign off on that scenario.
In an example, Mitchell used what he called a safe figure annually of $2.5 million to house detainees out of the county. He cited the 2024 jail budget of $4.9 million and said that the county could conceivably have a cost savings while doing a remodeling or rebuilding of the jail.
Through memorandums of understanding with the out-of-county facilities, the example figure of $70 per detainee would include meals, bedding and incidentals. If so, Vance County would be responsible for transportation and outside medical, specifically hospitalization, for example.
Additionally, there are so many unfilled positions right now within the jail that the lapsed salaries and the “money savings” from the lapsed salaries would help cover some of these expenses.
Hester said Vance County is in a position now that it has to move forward. He spoke of planning and construction of a new jail taking three to four years to complete and $50 million. County Manager Renee Perry could be heard agreeing with Hester’s remarks.
Mitchell indicated actions were already underway to depopulate the jail.
Commissioner Perry cited concerns with this same group of detainees being taken elsewhere and possibly being brought back again for misconduct. It has happened before. She said these same detainees continue to be so disruptive and indicated that she could not see how this proposal would be different.
Using Mitchell’s estimate of $70 per day per detainee figure from last week’s regular meeting, he reminded the board at the special called meeting that $511,000 is saved annually for every 20 detainees removed who do not have to be held somewhere else.
Sheriff Brame said that he was planning to speak with 22 sheriffs Tuesday, February 11 about the continued need to depopulate the Vance County Jail.
Mitchell also disclosed in the special called meeting that the district attorney had arranged special sessions of court where attorneys could discuss a case with the detainee, then appear before a judge.
Apparently, the judges are on board, and the district attorney’s office and the sheriff’s office are working together with over 40-some cases already worked on towards either a bond for the detainee, time served or removal to the Department of Adult Corrections.
Part of the delay in moving detainees out, according to what Mitchell said, is attorneys have not wanted to go to the jail to see clients and the space for attorney/client meetings at the jail is inhospitable, lacking even an electrical outlet to power a laptop computer that may develop a dead battery after an hour or so.
To combat that impediment, Brame and staff have, in the last 30 days, been bringing detainees to the sheriff’s office so they can meet with their attorneys.
