ANDERSON — The number of people being detained at the Madison County jail is once again above capacity.
The jail was housing Wednesday 236 inmates with an available bed space of 207.
There were 83 people housed at the Madison County Community Corrections facility, which has a capacity of 132.
The county is also housing 10 inmates at the Jay, Tipton and Delaware county jails at a cost of $2,800 per week.
Madison County Sheriff Scott Mellinger is concerned that potential changes in the pre-trial release program locally could increase the numbers at the jail.
“ I s ee more inmates if they modify the bond schedule,” he said.
In 2017 the state of Indiana adopted a new criminal rule that requires inmates to be screened and evaluated for release if they’re not able to post bond.
Jail Commander Tyler Jugg said in July the jail was housing up to 243 inmates on a daily basis.
“The numbers have come down in August,” he said. “July and August are the months when we have the highest number of inmates.”
Jugg said over the past few years there has been an increase in the number of female prisoners which is currently at 27%.
“We have dealt with it,” Mellinger said of the inmate numbers. “We have become accustomed to the numbers in the criminal justice system. We’re at a serious number.”
Mellinger said not every inmate can be housed at the Madison County Community Corrections Complex.
“The number there is reflective of what they can house,” he said.
The local court system is considering a change to the pretrial release program.
Madison Circuit Court Division 6 Judge Mark Dudley said the county will continue to follow the state guidelines for evaluating people in the jail awaiting trial.
Dudley said the county will continue to use the state required bond program. He said the difference is that there will no longer be contact with the inmates released on their own recognizance.
Currently people released from the jail have to meet with a case manager and provide an accurate address and telephone number.
He explained when it was implemented the state’s certification process required a public defender and a member of the prosecutor’s staff to attend initial hearings.
Dudley said the state provide $15,000 for public defenders to attend the initial hearings, but none were willing to take on the responsibility.
He said the prosecutor’s office is reluctant to have a deputy prosecutor attend the daily initial hearings.
Dudley said the state provided $67,000 for a probation officer and two case managers to oversee the pre-trial release program.
He said the county decided not to accept the state funding.
“We’re still going to evaluate the inmates to decide who has to remain incarcerated and who could be released,” Dudley said.
Carl Chambers, chief probation officer, said the state funds paid for the positions, but starting in 2023 the positions will be eliminated.
“We have a couple of openings so those employees can apply for the positions,” Chambers said.
Both Dudley and Chambers said the funds locally to fund the three positions are not available and the Madison County Council is unlikely to provide the money.
Mellinger said another concern at the jail is the turnover among the jail staff.
“We have 50 employees and half of those have only been working in the jail for less than a year,” he said.
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