by William Crum
Week two: The Citizens Academy learned about the adult detention and juvenile detention facilities from Jeffrey Fewell, warden, and Major James Eickhoff.
The Wyandotte County Jail has a lot of inmates, both adult and juvenile, according to a current count. As of April they are up to 435, which is 12 more than they had in February 2015.
Sheriff Ash first gave a presentation on what it takes for someone to work in the jail. It is a very lengthy process, with candidates taking a written test, going through a criminal check, a psychological evaluation and then interviews with some members of the staff, he said.
After that they go through an eight-week training class, plus they go with another jailer who is experienced. This person is called a jail training officer. Then finally the new employees are allowed to be on their own, Sheriff Ash said.
The participants were also informed about the budget and what it cost to run and operate a jail of this magnitude.
Currently they have 87 deputies assigned and have 83 percent that are currently on duty. They have the adult detention, which mainly deals with security, and within the jail they have first-time offenders, DWI offenders and others who are waiting for trial or are pending to go to state or federal penal institutions.
On the juvenile side, there are treatment programs such as counseling, education, and other facilities. There is a big difference between the two, Fewell said.
After the presentation the participants took a tour of the facilities. They saw the total operations of the jail itself, on the adult side and the juvenile side as well. After the tour and presentation the Sheriff and staff answered questions from the participants about the jail and what it costs to operate it.
