By Robin Fornoff
Clovis News Journal
CURRY COUNTY, NM — Staff shortages at Curry County jail are near levels for which former Administrator Gerry Billy was criticized but county officials said Wednesday there is no cause for concern yet.
“If we have no (employment) applications … and if it looks like this is long term, then it would be concerning to me,” said Commissioner Robert Sandoval. His sentiments were repeated by Commissioner Tim Ashley and jail Administrator Tori Sandoval.
Tori Sandoval — no relation to the commissioner — said the jail is short 12 detention officers and one booking officer. Full staff is considered 45 officers to oversee a jail population averaging about 223 inmates. She said the reasons for the shortage of detention officers vary.
“We’ve hired, over the last eight or nine months, 18 employees,” said Sandoval. “Some started the (training) academy and quit. Or, they’ll start working on the floor and realize this isn’t for them. The stress and high pace of the job is difficult.”
Sandoval said others have left for better paying jobs. Detention officers start at about $12 an hour.
Sandoval said she just interviewed two candidates on Tuesday and plans to attend a job fair later this week to recruit more detention officers.
Two years ago, Billy was criticized by Robert Sandoval for consistent staff shortages ranging from 12 to 15 detention officers.
Sandoval was among a majority of the commission who voted 4-1 some 15 months ago to fire Billy. High staff turnover was one of the reasons cited for failing to renew Billy’s contract.
Billy has filed a wrongful discharge lawsuit in federal court. The case is still pending.
Ashley said staff shortages have been until recently in the single digits.
“If it’s persistent at that (higher) level, yes that’s going to be a concern,” said Ashley, who ran for office in 2012 on a platform to clean up the troubled jail. He also voted with Sandoval and Commissioners Ben McDaniel and Frank Blackburn to dismiss Billy.
Ashley said one of his goals was to ramp up training for jail staff, another issue that has dogged the jail. It has been hampered, Ashley said, by jail staff’s vote last year to join the Teamsters union.
The union, Ashley said, is just another entity to be dealt with and it is sometimes “frankly, very frustrating.” Ashley said he also wants to come up with better pay for jail staff, another process that must be negotiated with the Teamsters.
“We’re doing a whole lot more training with these detention officers now,” said Ashley. “I hope where we can get to a point where compensation is accompanying the training.”
Bostwick said he has been watching the shortage figures but doesn’t believe Tori Sandoval is open to criticism for the situation.
“I think we’re going to have to look at wages,” said Bostwick. “Especially for those detention officers. I almost look at that as a combat position because a lot of those people (in jail) don’t want to be there.”
McDaniel said he has concerns and plans to watch staff numbers at the jail but believes the shortage is just a fluctuation.
Tori Sandoval said unlike her predecessor Billy, she has moved all command officers out of front offices and onto the jail floor to assist detention officers. Sandoval said all staff are also required to work one 12-hour shift a week, adding some weeks no overtime is required to meet the jail’s needs and ensure safety.
“It’s not ideal,” Sandoval said. “I would love to be fully staffed and have a waiting list of folks wanting to work. But we make the adjustment.
“Command staff comes in … I’ve come in on weekends just to make sure we’re covered. I do that to make sure my people are safe and the public is safe.”