GOLDENDALE — The Klickitat County Commissioners hired Jose Briones, chief jail administrator of Island County, to thoroughly examine its own jail system, and at the board’s Aug. 6 meeting, Jones provided a status update.
His credentials are impressive: 25 years in corrections and law enforcement that brought him to jails and prisons across Washington State and elsewhere, including a maximum-security federal prison with 3,200 beds. He came to Island County from the state Department of Corrections when the sheriff asked him to realign that county’s jail.
Briones has since audited multiple jails and prisons, beginning that detailed process in Klickitat County a month ago.
“I was there about three days, and I looked at multiple shifts,” Briones said about his first visit. “I didn’t just come in for one period; I came in for multiple periods and different days. I also met with the staff individually, including staff outside of the jail that are other stakeholders in the county.”
His final review will look at policies and procedures; how the jail operates, including staffing levels, training and the physical infrastructure; emergency responses; leadership; outside contracts, such as those with medical and food services, budget needs; and how funds are allocated within the department.
While Briones’ report with his conclusions and observations will not be complete for another month, he did have some early advice about the disadvantage of relying on Northern Oregon Regional Corrections Facilities (NORCOR) for jail services.
“You will still be required to have some form of temporary holding facility and a transport division to move people back and forth, which means you’re still going to have a food contract. You’re still going to have to have a medical contract to manage medical,” Briones said. “Do we want to invest the money in our own facility, and keep our people here and manage them the way we want to manage them? Or do we want to farm it out — and pay additional funds to do that?”
Although the county could still contract with NORCOR, the idea hasn’t been brought up in a meeting following the original vote. Briones’ assessment may put that option to bed.
Robb Van Cleave, the human resources director for Klickitat County, listed what will be transferred from the Sheriff’s Office to the new Department of Corrections once everything is in place. This includes all equipment used to operate the jail; all jail records, forms and documents in possession of the jail; all programs administered at the jail by the county sheriff; and necessary budgeting information.
Separately during public comment, one person heard that the Big Horn Fire, which torched 51,000 acres in eastern Klickitat County, had been started by a wind turbine and that it had burned up some solar panels.
Undersheriff Carmen Knopes, who had visited the scene, reported that wasn’t the case. “There are witnesses that a lightning strike did start that Big Horn Fire,” she said. “There’s no indication that there was a windmill; no turbines were destroyed during that. The solar farm, while it had fire underneath, none of the panels caught fire.”
According to Commissioner Dan Christopher, the solar company hired a man from La Grande to bring his sheep and keep the grass on site trimmed down to a stubble.
“While that was never a requirement in their permit,” Christopher said, “I do have to commend [solar farm operator] Avangrid for doing what’s right to mitigate fire, and having that expense, even though it was not a county requirement.”
Under the consent agenda, commissioners approved:
• Purchase of a full-size passenger van for Klickitat County Adult Probation.
• Professional services agreement with Celia Throop for expertise and technical guidance on behavioral health services in the county as a designated crisis responder.
• Letter and certificate of appreciation to Linda Davis for her service on the Senior Services Advisory Board.
• Appointment of Brandon Essex to the Klickitat County Veterans Advisory Board.
• Amendment to the resolution appointing Marese Mitchell to the Klickitat County Senior Services Advisory Board, correcting her position description as representing District #3.
• Appointment of Lisa Birney to the Klickitat-Skamania County Developmental Disabilities Board as a Schools/Education representative.
• Interagency agreement on a supplemental homeless grant for Washington Gorge Actions Programs.
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