|
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, April 27, 2006
| Contact: |
Bob
Macleod,
Thurston
County
Commission Chair, 360-786-5440 |
|
Don Krupp,
Thurston
County
Chief Administrative Officer, 360-786-5440 |
Commissioners
Consider Funding Two New Corrections Officers
OLYMPIA
– Thurston County Commissioners Monday will consider establishment of two
new corrections officer positions for court security purposes.
This action is intended to expedite the hiring and deployment of two
additional corrections officers to mitigate the safety risks associated with
inmate court transports.
The funding for the two positions is one more step in
reaction to the March 31st attack on a corrections officer by a
Thurston
County
jail inmate. Thurston County
Commission Chair Bob Macleod says the county will continue to work on the
issue. “The establishment of two
new corrections positions will provide some relief for staff which must
oversee hundreds of inmates in the aging and overcrowded county jail.
We look forward to working with Corrections Chief Karen Daniels, her
staff and the corrections union to further increase the safety for officers
and inmates. We also want to
ensure the public and courthouse workers are protected from the kind of
violent outburst that happened at the end of March.”
In the meantime, the
Corrections Bureau will be submitting an interim staffing proposal for further
Board consideration as well as working on a long-term plan.
Several steps have already been taken by the county in
the wake of the assault, according to Chief Administrative Officer Don Krupp.
“Commissioners have expedited the installation of video arraignment
equipment for Superior Court and the jail so some inmates can remotely attend
court procedures without ever leaving the secure portion of the jail.
Video monitoring equipment is being placed in the elevator where the
attack took place and jail supervisors will be able to operate the elevator
allowing officers emergency access, which was a problem during the attack.
A weapons screening station for District Court and overtime pay for
corrections officers have also been approved.”
Thurston County Commissioners will take up the new
corrections positions issue at their regular weekly meeting at 9 AM Monday,
May 1st in Building One of the Thurston County Courthouse on
Lakeridge Drive
in
Olympia
.
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