Lake County Jail runs according to rules
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Although most people know the Lake County Jail is located in the Lake County Courthouse, the day-to-day workings of the jail are a mystery.
Lake County Detention Control Officer Gus Blaise shed some light on procedures.
A detention officer with Lake County since 1999, Blaise handles the main desk at the Lake County Jail and his job list is long. Among his duties are to greet the public in a friendly professional manner, keep track of a prisoner‘s medication and log all inmate movements, log in and search the incoming mail, and monitor and control visitors.
Blaise and the other LC detention officers also log calls from people setting up future detention dates.
As far as the people serving time, Blaise said some won’t come in and have to be reminded by the judge, and others come down to the jail as soon as they get out of court to set up their jail time.
LCJ asks that future detentions set up their time on the day they call in or the next day, depending on room at the jail.
“The jail is almost always full,” Blaise said.
Lake County jail has five cellblocks. The women’s cell can house six ladies, and there are three other six-cell blocks with a large TV room in the middle. The “max” cellblock is for alleged murderers and other violent criminals. There is also a separate block for sex offenders and the infirmary. A twelve-man “minimum” block houses future detentions and first timers, Blaise said. Completing the housing is a 12-man “medium” for parole violators and prisoners awaiting transfer to the state penitentiary. Each cellblock has showers and a pay phone. Inmates may purchase phone cards from the commissary or make collect calls but are not allowed to receive calls.
As prisoners begin their jail stay, they are issued a toothbrush, toothpaste, a bar of soap, two cups, a spork (a hybrid spoon/fork combination), plus bedding and their orange LCJ jumpsuits.
Meals are served in the cells, “taken around just like at the hospital,” Bliese said. Detention personnel keep count of plates, bowls, etc.
If an inmate is ill, Dr. Stephen Irwin, the LCJ physician, visits on Mondays and Fridays. Inmates pay $10 per doctor visit. Medication costs prisoners $3 the first time and “after that the county pays.”
The commissary offers personal hygiene items, such as Carmex and vitamins, notebooks, colored pencils, stamps, candy, chips, jerky and powdered drink mix. Blaise said inmates may spend $15 at a time and order twice a week from the commissary.
Inmates may have visitors on Tuesday and Sunday, one visit per inmate. Two people at a time may go into the visiting booth and stay for half an hour with the inmate.
Family members and friends can bring the inmate a new paperback book with the receipt stuck in the book, a paperback crossword puzzle or word search book or put money in the prisoner’s account for the commissary.
Since the jail is so strapped for space, Blaise asks that attorneys call ahead when they need to visit a client. Consultations take place either in an empty solitary cell or back in the visiting booths, Blaise said.
While the jail could certainly use more room, plans for a new Law Enforcement Center have stalled due to lack of funds.
(Editor’s note: This is the second in a series of stories on the jail, Detention Officers, people waiting to serve time and plans for the future. Next week’s installment will be on the DUI court.)
