Miami County Sheriff Dave Duchak would like to more than double the number of holding/isolation cells at the county Incarceration Facility, saying as the inmate population has increased so has those with mental health and substance abuse issues.

 

Duchak said he would like to add 10 holding/isolation cells to the current seven cells in a letter to county commissioners discussing the contract to again house federal prisoners at the IF. The commissioners approved that contract April 19.

 

The agreement initially calls for housing up to 20 prisoners for the U.S. Marshal’s Service  - 15 men and five women – for $59 per prisoner per day. The contract also calls for two deputies to transport prisoners for $36 per hour, per deputy

 

Duchak told commissioners at the meeting that the Marshal’s Service has expressed interest in renting possibly more beds in the near future. The IF now has three of its four 60-inmate pods open. A fourth pod could be opened, if needed, but more correction officers would need to be hired.

 

The commissioners thanked Duchak for his efforts in returning federal prisoner housing to the IF, which had housed them for several years before the IF was closed in late 2009 because of the recession. It reopened in 2013, first with one pod. The county houses more violent prisoners at the county jail in downtown Troy.

 

"I want to thank the sheriff for being diligent in getting these prisoners," Commissioner Jack Evans said.
Duchak called the agreement a "win-win." 

 

He noted in the letter to commissioners that the federal prisoners’ agreement was not included in the 2018 budget so some line items could fall short at the end of the year for expenses such as salaries, medical supplies and meals.

 

In the letter asking to discuss more holding/isolation cells, he said the additional income from the federal prisoners could pay for the additional cells. Duchak said he did not yet have an estimate on the cost of construction, but said there is space at the IF for them. The building was designed to add  space such as the cells and a maximum-security addition.

 

“We have and are continuing to track the occupancy rate of the holding/isolation cells going back 15 months and most of the time we are maxed out,” Duchak said. “This creates safety issues when we do not have an isolation cell available to place a discipline problem or a mental health problem as the situation aggravates itself when these types of individuals are left in population.”