Tag Archive for: #vancecountyjail

TownTalk: Commissioners Debate Medical Co-Pay For Detainees

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The Vance County Board of Commissioners is considering putting a health copay in place for individuals detained in the Vance County Detention Center.

Finance Director Katherine Bigelow shared information with commissioners during their Monday, Nov. 20 work session.

Board Chair Yolanda Feimster sent the matter to the Public Safety Committee for further discussion and to work through details about how such a policy would work.

Commissioner Dan Brummitt was the sole member of the Public Safety Committee present at the work session; commissioners Sean Alston and Carolyn Faines were not present for the meeting.

Bigelow said she had spoken with officials in more than 25 counties as part of her research; “we are the only ones that do not do this,” she told commissioners.

Bigelow and County Manager Renee Perry said it would help curb costs for detainees who may make unnecessary trips to the health care provider – racking up a hefty fee for the county each time.

This would encourage inmates to take responsibility of their own health care, they noted. The basic idea is that the inmate may decide to lie down and rest instead of going to the infirmary to get pills for a headache, Perry said.

If the health care provider determines that the visit was not a medical necessity, the individual would be charged a copay; $20 is the allowable limit that can be charged.

“We will not make money on this by any means,” Bigelow noted, adding that $395,000 of the $550,000 budgeted for health care at the jail has already been spent.

In a follow-up statement to WIZS News, Perry said the jail is on track to have an overage of as much as $1 million by the end of fiscal year 2024 if no measures are taken to curb the spending.

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TownTalk: Jail To Close For Repairs

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The 50-plus inmates of the Vance County Detention Center could find themselves in a different jail soon – at least temporarily – while contractors replace old doors to provide better security.

The Vance County Commissioners approved spending up to $90,000 to pay for the inmates’ stays at other facilities, but there’s one condition: Vance County Sheriff Curtis Brame must get, in writing, confirmation from the contractor that the work can and will be done within a 30-day period.

During that 30-day window, the jail would be closed as far as housing inmates is concerned. Closing a jail sounds like a severe measure, but it is what needs to happen for  the repairs and installations to be completed.

Brame and longtime sheriff’s office employee Weldon Bullock were at the commissioners’ meeting Monday to make the request. They shared details of yet another example of unsafe conditions at the jail – an inmate lay unconscious for at least five minutes after being attacked in a fight over the weekend.

He was transported to Duke University Hospital and had surgery for a broken eye socket, Bullock reported during his remarks to the commissioners. He also stated that the doors are broken and can’t be secured properly. But physical conditions aside, Bullock said what really bothered him was that the inmate could have died. “The guy could have laid there and died – I don’t want somebody to get killed because we can’t lock the doors.”

The new doors have been purchased and are ready to be installed, to the tune of about $400,000. Once the sheriff gets written confirmation from the contractor that the work can be done within a 30-day period, the plan can proceed.

As chief law enforcement officer in the county, the sheriff is responsible for the hiring and firing of employees within the sheriff’s office, but salaries and other capital expenses are the responsibility of the county commissioners.

Brame has long said that the county needs a new jail and more staff to adequately cover the jail. The facility has gotten deficiencies on state inspection reports for various problems, from broken doors to non-functioning cameras and peeling paint.

A comprehensive feasibility study was initiated last year to evaluate the jail and to help county leaders decide whether to repair or replace the 30-year-old structure.

The Vance County Jail will close for thirty days to replace doors.

 

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The Local Skinny! Vance County Jail

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The Vance County commissioners continue to move forward to address issues with the county detention center, and at their meeting Monday chose a Raleigh architectural firm to complete a needs assessment and make recommendations and suggestions about whether to repair or replace.

Moseley Architects worked with Granville County to build its newly completed jail complex, and County Manager Jordan McMillen told WIZS News Thursday that county leaders are hopeful that the needs assessment will provide some options for next steps.

The 30-year-old jail has had some deficiencies in previous jail inspections, from damaged ceiling tiles to peeling paint and other areas that need repair or maintenance. But McMillen said options range from construction of a new jail to an upgrade and expansion of the current facility or even embracing the concept of “regionalization with a neighboring county.”

Commissioner Dan Brummitt told WIZS News Thursday that the concept of jail regionalization is a growing trend, loosely defined as a way for counties to pool resources, allowing for inmates and suspects to be housed in a central facility instead of county jails.

But jails need a full roster of county detention officers to operate effectively, and the Human Resources Committee identified the position of detention officer as one of several hard-to-fill positions.

The commissioners approved giving a $5,000 hiring bonus for new detention officers, as well as social workers who work with child protective services at the Department of Social Services.

Commissioners Carolyn Faines, Archie Taylor and Gordon Wilder comprise the HR committee, and they reviewed turnover data and length of vacancies to identify the top three positions, McMillen said.

In other business, the commissioners finalized the sale of the former DSS building to the Henderson Family YMCA.

“This will pave the way for the YMCA to use this property for their programming needs as they look to the future,” McMillen said. The 9,684 square foot building sits on 2.46 acres at 350 Ruin Creek Rd.

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