The role of the Meade County jailer
The Kentucky Constitution requires each county to elect a jailer, with their qualifications prescribed by the provisions of the constitution. In essence, the jailer is a sworn peace officer who has custody, rule, and charge of the county jail and all persons in the jail. The jailer just give bond as required by law, must be at least 24 years of age, and must possess two years residency in the state as well as one year of residency in the county. The jailer’s salary is set by statute and is based upon the county’s population as well as the years of service. The judge executive, sheriff, county clerk, and jailer are all similary compensated under the same statute. The current jailer’s salary is $70,000+. Meade County jailer Troy Seelye was elected to his position in 2003 and is currently serving his second term in office. The jailer’s oversight includes administration, fiscal management, personnel, admissions, releases, classification, security control, safety, emergency procedures, medical services, food services, transportation, sanitation, hygiene, inmate programs, and inmate rights. Said Seelye, “The chief responsibility of the jail is to provide for the custody and care of all persons lawfully committed to the jail until they are discharged. Once a person is booked in, the jail is responsible for providing everything from proper food and lodging to necessary medical and dental care.” Providing for the incarceration of prisoners is an expensive undertaking for counties, and Seelye believes it will only become more expensive as counties are mandated by the state to provide better facilities, services, and programs. “Jails are not profit centers and should not be viewed as such,” noted Seelye. “Jails are necessary for the incarceration of those who are arrested. The number one goal of government should be public safety.” The jailer has statutory responsibilities in the preparation of the jail budget. By April 1 of each year, the jailer must develop and provide to the Fiscal Court a proposed line item budget and an estimate of revenues from all sources. The current operating budget of the Meade County Jail is $1,542,116, of which the majority is recouped through housing state inmates as well as the collection of jail fees. “My administration has instituted tighter budget controls and is continuing to implement policies that control operating costs,” said Seelye. The jail, classified as a full-service jail, is currently rated to house 173 inmates which includes both county and state inmates. As for the employees who operate the jail, the jail currently employs 26 people which includes deputies, cooks, medical personnel, and administrative staff. Deputies are peace officers appointed by the jailer. They have the same powers as the jailer and are also subject to the same penalties as the jailer. Stated Seelye, “A jailer is only as good as his staff, and I’m proud of the work ethic, loyalty, and commitment of our current employees. It takes a lot of teamwork to keep everything running smoothly. We work daily on improving our mission of public safety, institutional safety, and providing a constitutional level of care for those who are incarcerated.” The Meade County Jail is located at 516 Fairway Drive, adjacent to the Meade County Courthouse. The phone number is 422-2546.
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By KAREN KENNEDY