County of sheriff's office: Warren County
Location of office: W. Archer Ave. & N. A St., Monmouth
Phone: (309) 734-8506
Sheriff: Martin E. Edwards
"MONMOUTH — The Warren County Jail closed indefinitely Wednesday afternoon after a staff member left for another position.
"Although the building will remain open, the 23 inmates being held in Warren County were transported to the Mercer County Jail in Aledo, according to Warren County Sheriff Martin Edwards, who said officers have been leaving Warren County recently for higher pay elsewhere. Additionally, the jail, which is more than a century old, has fallen into disrepair.
'“Nothing like this has ever happened,” said Warren County State’s Attorney Andy Doyle. “We knew this day would come because of pay disparity. It’s something we should have been planning for some time ago, but we were hoping it would never come to this.”
"Doyle said housing inmates out of county will be costly; he estimated it will cost $40 to $50 per day per inmate, or around $40,000 per month, which will require the county to dip into its emergency fund. The County Board will have an emergency finance meeting at 1 p.m. Thursday in the Warren County Courthouse.
'“It’s a two-pronged problem,” Edwards said. “The jail is in need of being replaced. It’s that simple. Renovation is out of the question. We have to have a newer facility to work out of, the issue has to be dealt with. We’re also plagued with our salaries, (compared to what) area jails are paying. As a consequence, we’re losing to other agencies, Knox especially. I can’t compete with that, a $14,000 difference in pay. ... Factor that in with dealing with an overcrowded facility that’s not fully manned, it puts stress on employees. All of these are reasons people are leaving.”
"In Warren County starting pay is $12.82 per hour, while at Knox County, starting pay is $20.03.
'“We had one (officer) leave today,” Edwards said. “Going into next month there are three people available — one’s in school and one is off on medical, and that leaves me with three people for 24-hour-per-day coverage, which we cannot do.”
"He said in order to have a fully functional jail, there needs to be at least two people on staff for every shift, with room to spare for illness, vacations, and schooling.
"In making the decision to move inmates to Mercer County, Edwards said he was led to believe Knox County did not have room for Warren County’s inmates, and Henderson County is already transporting inmates due to lack of space. He did not converse with the McDonough County Sheriff’s Department, but said the Mercer County Jail made sense as “they have more than enough room” to house the inmates.
"As for what’s next, Edwards said the first plan of action after moving the inmates is to try to get reliable staffing and reopen the jail to inmates as soon as possible.
'“We want to do this for as short a term as possible,” Edwards said. “Until we get staffing at a manageable level ... we have no choice in the matter. Hopefully we will have a stable staff of personnel, getting people that are certified. We’re attracting people new to the game, but experience leaves us in a heartbeat.”
"Those who wish to visit inmates in Mercer County after they are transported can get more information by visiting mercercosheriff.org." ~ The Register-Mail, by Andy Bell-Baltaci, August 1, 2018