HENRIETTA, Mo. — Ray County Sheriff Gary Blackwell grabbed a flashlight before leading KSHB 41 News on a tour of the county jail on Thursday, just one day after he took office and closed the jail.
"You're going to see it like it was minus the mattresses and the clothes," he said.
On Wednesday, 47 inmates were transported to Harrison and Lafayette county jails and the Daviess-DeKalb Regional Jail.
"They're going to be at those others jails until we can determine what we can do to make this safe and secure," Blackwell said.
The county jail currently has sanitary plumbing issues — including water lines that freeze in cold temperatures, electrical issues — including dim lighting, and damage from escape attempts.
"For both inmates and staff, I want a clean and safe facility," Blackwell said.
KSHB 41 News witnessed holes in walls where inmates can pass contraband from pod to pod. The jail also had metal, plastic and ceramic items that could be broken to create weapons.
"That toilet's got pieces broken on it, so something as simple as being able to bust a piece of this off," Blackwell said. "Now what do I have? A weapon."
Blackwell says these issues are liabilities for him.
"You can't know about this and let it go, you just can't," he said. "Not on my name, it's not going to happen."
Blackwell estimates it will cost about $45 to $60 a day per inmate to house them in other jails. He says the cost is well worth it, even amid backlash.
"Those that I think wholeheartedly oppose what I did, maybe they haven't been in here," he said.
A local detention facility consultant — which is nationally accredited through the National Institute for Jail Operations — inspected the jail on Thursday. Blackwell is awaiting the results.
The three Ray County Commissioners — Sheila Tracy, Dave Powell and Bobby Don Davis — said they took a tour of the jail, but they need more information before deciding where they stand.
"You can fix it or do what it takes to counter it, or you can pay lawsuits in the future," Blackwell said. "It's that easy."
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KSHB 41 reporter Lily O’Shea Becker covers Franklin and Douglas counties in Kansas. Share your story idea with Lily.
