By John Seasly
The Herald
JASPER, Indiana — Indiana county jail standards underwent a major revision this year, the first time in 30 years. Although many of the changes apply only to jails that have not yet been built, the code will introduce some new requirements for the Dubois County Security Center.
Under the revised code, all jail officers are required to complete 16 hours of continuing education annually. As the jail commander, Randy Schnell must complete 24 hours each year. The previous version did not list a set number of hours of ongoing training.
New hires, like the jailer who will begin work Jan. 1, must start by completing 80 hours of on-the-job training. Before, new hires had to complete 40 hours of orientation and training, then complete 40 more hours sometime during their first year.
Other provisions require jails to offer emergency psychological services -- something the county jail already does -- and to have a written suicide prevention and intervention program.
The last major revision of jail standards took place in 1982, said Kenny Whipker, executive liaison for sheriff and county jail operations with the Indiana Department of Correction. The new revisions, adopted in September and set to take effect Jan. 1, are intended to bring Indiana jails in line with the core standards established by the American Correctional Association.
Many of the changes also are designed to improve jail operations and reduce their liability, Whipker said. Explicit instructions now exist for how and when to conduct strip searches -- only when there is reasonable suspicion that an arrestee or inmate is in possession of contraband. A new set of instructions explains how jailers can react to incoming and outgoing mail.
Schnell is reviewing the new code and making changes accordingly. He hopes to have all the changes completed by the end of the year. Because the physical plant standards do not apply to existing jails like the security center, the changes are procedural.
“It’s not like we’re off-base right now,” Schnell said. “The big thing is ongoing training.”
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