The Mower County Jail has passed an inspection by the Minnesota Department of Corrections.

Thursday, May 29, 2001

The Mower County Jail has passed an inspection by the Minnesota Department of Corrections.

But the inspection report hints at on-going security and staffing problems in the jail in downtown Austin.

The inspection was held shortly after the escape of three prisoners in the jail. The prisoners were all recaptured and are now standing trial.

Questions about policies and procedures as well as the actions of jail detention officers abounded after the escape. In addition, the design of the jail, its population and other aspects of incarceration also were questioned.

But taxpayers will have to wait for another examination of the March 25 jail escape.

This inspection was "routine."

According to Sheriff Barry J. Simonson, the state’s visit to Austin April 5 was an annual inspection scheduled months earlier.

Simonson was pleased the Mower County Jail, which is the responsibility of the Mower County Sheriff’s Department, was found to be largely in compliance with both mandatory and essential rules.

"We scored 98.2 percent or 111 of 113 in the mandatory section and 97.2 percent or 104 of 107 in the applicable essential rules," Simonson said.

A year ago, the county jail scored 100 percent ratings after the state’s 2000 inspection.

"Because of some changes in the average daily population, the type of inmates being held and also some changes in the interpretation of the rules by the Department of Corrections, our 2001 report didn’t score as high," Simonson said.

The jail’s capacity once again was brought into question and the state hinted the acceptable prisoner population figure may change again.

Built originally to house 72 prisoners, the state allows Mower County to hold only 45 prisoners at this time.

Those regulations are expected to change again, according to Simonson, who said the allowable jail population will be reduced to 40 inmates.

"Then," Simonson said, "they tell us that our operational capacity is 70 percent of 40, which equals 28. Last year, our average daily population was nearly 42, so we were clearly in excess of that rule."

The state’s inspection came with recommendations. The state wants a program coordinator hired to handle a variety of educational, vocational, social services and volunteer programs for inmates.

The state also wants the specific duties for each shift to be promulgated to jail detention officers.

"We can deal with these recommendations," Simonson said.

Our state observations included noting the limitations of the facility, size, age and linear design, which, the sheriff admitted, "all are cause for concern."

"We feel that this jail is past its prime, but still functional," he said.

However, the state inspection report noted, "The facility is not operating considerably different than in the past."

According to the sheriff, that is as much a reflection of the rule changes from 2000 to 2001 as anything else.

The state report also examined staffing levels.

When the three accused of a double killing escaped from the jail early March 25, they overpowered two guards – one a female – after luring one of the guards – a male – into a cell.

The three inmates took the guards’ keys and moved freely from the cell area to the jail offices on the second floor of the law enforcement center where they grabbed a golf club left behind by a jailer, smashed a window without bars and jumped to the ground below.

A gag order imposed by District Judge Donald E. Rysavy still prevents Simonson from talking about the escape, whether the jailers were punished for violating any policies and any measures taken to increase security.

Still housed among all the other inmates are two others accused of murder.

The state’s inspection reviewed staffing levels n the county jail and found them to be inadequate "both in terms of numbers of inmates as well as the violent nature of the inmates housed in the facility."

While the average daily population in the jail exceeded the approved capacity of the jail in 2000, incident reports showed eight inmate-to-inmate assaults, three inmate-to-staff assaults, one threat to staff, one attempted escape and one successful escape.

The sheriff and his jail administrator, Bob Roche, now must submit their responses to the state’s recommendations.

He also said the Mower County Board of Commissioners has approved the hiring of an additional jailer – the second new hiring this year, guaranteeing the night shift will have two officers, and the day and afternoon shifts each will have three.

Call Lee Bonorden at 434-2232 or e-mail him at lee.bonorden@austindailyherald.com.