Jail staffing focus of Adams Co. Commission discussion

RITZVILLE — The remodeled Adams County Jail is tentatively scheduled to open in spring 2027, which means training new and current jail staff. And that, said Adams County Commissioner Dan Blankenship, means some monetary decisions must be made. 

“It’s kind of put up or shut up time for us,” Blankenship said during the commission meeting Tuesday. 

Adams County Sheriff Dale Wagner said in a separate interview that the opening date is tentative, but as of now, the facility should open in about a year. Cost of the first phase of construction is about $2.6 million, paid for with a federal grant. Wagner said the original timeline has been pushed back by about a month. 

Wagner said Adams County residents are curious about the project and its progress. 

“I’m asked about it constantly,” he said. 

“As are we,” Blankenship said.  

The county has also received about $2 million in federal funding for a second phase. State officials awarded the county a grant of about $230,000 to pay the county’s share.  

The jail was closed in 2022 after an inmate’s attack on another inmate left that inmate and a corrections officer severely injured. Wagner said in a previous interview that even after the jail is remodeled, ACSO will require adequate staff to operate it. Proper staffing ensures the safety of not only those held at the facility, but also the employees who run the jail. That was the focus of Tuesday’s meeting.  

Wagner originally requested a jail staff of 18 employees; commissioners rejected that due to the expense. Blankenship said they asked Wagner to come back with an amended proposal, and Kelly Watkins, the jail commander, gave the result. 

“Thirteen (employees) would be the bare minimum,” Watkins said.  

The sheriff’s office is part of the staff providing security in Adams County Superior Court, but Watkins said a staff of 13 would not leave much time to work in courtrooms.  

There are three open positions on the existing corrections staff, Watkins said, and there are applicants for them. However, the job requires an extensive training period before people start working at the jail. Wagner estimated it would take a minimum of five to six months to train additional jail staff in the most favorable conditions.  

“You’re looking at September, October before you get everyone (trained),” he said. "That’s going to be a very heavy lift for us.”  

That left him with a question for the commissioners. 

“We need to discuss with you guys, where are we going with this?” Wagner asked. 

Commissioner Jay Weise said negotiations are underway with the unions representing law enforcement personnel, including jail staff and dispatchers. He asked for an estimate of the operating budget to help get an idea of anticipated costs. 

Because the corrections department has open positions, some of the money that would’ve been spent on personnel is still in the ACSO budget. Blankenship said the sheriff’s office should avoid spending it. 

“Do what you can to keep that cash,” he said.  

Currently, people that would be incarcerated at the Adams County Jail are housed in neighboring counties, and Wagner cautioned that additional training will be required in the new jail. That means prisoners will still have to be transferred, at least for a while.