Meth Possession Ranks In Top 10 Crimes For 2013

Last updated on Thursday, March 27, 2014

(BEDFORD) - Possession of meth made it for the first time in the top 10 crimes for Lawrence County.

The top crimes for 2013 were:

Failure to appear - 338
Theft - 170
Petition to revoke probation - 167
Operating a vehicle while intoxicated - 148
Battery - 123
Court commitments - 120
Possession of marijuana - 120
Public intoxicated - 117
Possession of a controlled substance - 117
Possession of meth - 94

Sheriff Sam Craig presented the annual jail report at the commissioners meeting Tuesday morning.

The jail, located on I Street, opened in July 1990 with a capacity of housing 88 inmates. They increased the bunking in 1992, thus increasing the capacity to 168.

That capacity included a disciplinary segregation cell block that will hold 4 inmates, 4 medical segregation cells, a padded cell that was renovated in September 2007 and a holding tank with a rated capacity of 12 inmates.

From January 1, 2013 through December 21, of 2013 there were 1,815 inmates processed at the jail - that averages out to five people being booked into the jail a day. There were 1,792 inmates released from the jail during that same time period.

The average daily population for 2013 was 133 with a low point of 110 in March and a high point of 158 in July and October. The average length of stay for an inmate during 2013 was 26.8 days.

There were no in-custody deaths in the jail in 2013. But there was one escape attempt that was foiled by jail officials.

The jail did house one juvenile that was waived into adult court.

The jail offers the following programs for inmates:

General Education Diploma classed and a literacy program. These programs are offered once a week.
A variety of religious services are offered several times during the week. The jail has two volunteers that serve as chaplains, providing counseling to inmates in crisis situation.
An inmate worker program, utilizing low-risk inmates for various jobs inside the jail, including kitchen and laundry room jobs.
Alcoholic and Narcotics Anonymous classes
Advanced Correctional Healthcare - The doctor visits inmates weekly and is on call 24-hours a day. There is also a full-time nurse and part-time nurse on staff.

Sheriff Craig noted in the report that the jail is in need of additional storage space for paperwork that is accumulating at a considerable rate. They also need storage for inmate uniforms, shoes and bedding materials.

According to a staffing analysis by jail commander Bill Wilson, the jail is also understaffed.

Several improvements were completed at the facility in 2013.

Several of the areas were repainted including all the hallways, the booking area, visitation booths and kitchen.

Maintenance crews replaced all the light covers in the dayrooms in the cellblocks.

Steel plating was mounted in O block over the north wall on the lower level in an effort to prevent future escape attempts from that area.

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