(Spirit Lake)– Concern over a recent inspection that shows the county jail isn’t compliant in one area was a topic of discussion at today’s (Tues.) Dickinson county board of supervisors meeting.
Sheriff Greg Baloun told the supervisors that for the third year, the jail was found not to be in compliance because dispatchers aren’t jointly trained as jailers, even though the county has a separate jailer staff specifically trained in that area. Baloun says the inspector feels the dispatchers should be jointly trained because they operate buttons that control doors in the jail. He says the issue hadn’t been a factor until a new inspector started visiting the facility several years ago.
Baloun told the supervisors it doesn’t make sense to him to jointly train dispatchers as jailers, since dispatchers don’t have direct access to the jail. Baloun added the facility was built in accordance to standards identified by a consultant who worked with the Department of Corrections to make sure it was atleast “substantially compliant”.
Assistant County Attorney Lonnie Saunders agreed, saying the inspector’s finding amounts to nothing but a bureaucracy. He added, however, that in a worse case scenario, the Department of Corrections could shut down the jail if it doesn’t come into compliance.
While the county in the past has informally appealed the findings, the supervisors today (Tues.) directed Saunders to begin the process of filing a FORMAL appeal to the state. They also directed Saunders to contact atleast two other counties who’s recently constructed jails were also found to be non-compliant for the same reason to see if they would be interested in filing a joint appeal with Dickinson county.
