Minor, necessary fixes in offing for Ray County Jail
RICHMOND – Three major problems – lighting, air quality and moisture – are expected to receive temporary fixes at the Ray County Jail.
“We need to worry about the air and we need to worry about the sunlight. That’s two big things that we’re not complying on,” Sheriff Scott Childers said during last week’s commission meeting, adding another is mold. “That’s a civil matter.”
Childers has stressed the jail must comply with safety standards. Noncompliance could subject the county to costly lawsuits.
“What steps are we going to take?” Commissioner Dave Powell asked.
“All three of these steps should happen,” Childers said.
Having worked in Clay County, with a population topping 250,000 people, versus in Ray County, with a population of about 23,000 people, Childers said the number of ambulance calls to the Ray County Jail surprised him.
“I feel like we had less ambulance calls (in Clay) than what we have in Ray County and I’m certain it’s due to the environment, I really do, between the…