County jail upgrades second pod

Upgrades to the Glenn County Jail were made Monday, adding a second maximum security pod to the decades old facility, the Glenn County sheriff's office reported.

"It was a very simple, relatively minor upgrade that makes Pods A and B identical," Sheriff Larry Jones said Tuesday. "It's part of our philosophy of continuously upgrading the facility."

The sheriff's office spent about $3,700 to install extra metal security bars to the second pod, using money from the Inmate Welfare Fund, Jones said.

"The advantage to adding the maximum security pod is that we're getting more and more people in the jail that require that type of housing," Jones said. "Not only because of the gang issues, but also because we're seeing more serious type violent felons within the jail."

An increase gang-related confrontations within the jail in recent years has created additional security issues not only the inmates, but also for jail staff, Jones said.

"We now will be able to better separate rival gang members and keep everyone more secure," Jones said.

The sheriff's office also added five new "industrial grade" television monitors in each of the five housing pods at a cost of about $200 a piece, Jones said.

"They're not just for television, but also for our continuous educational programs in the jail," Jones said.

In February last year, the jail also the purchased more than two dozen training books, DVDs and computer programs designed to help inmates obtain the skills to get a job, combat addictions and start and maintain healthier lifestyles, Jones said.

The cost of two new computers and the Impact Publication Educational program software, about $8,400 total, was also paid for entirely out of the Inmate Welfare Fund. No public funds were spent on either project, Jones said.

Additional upgrades to the jail's commissary program are also in the works, Jones said.

Jones said the plan is provide inmates an electronic ATM card upon release, which would eliminate cash and check transactions.

"Doing that would save our staff additional man hours now spent on that type of paperwork," Jones said.

Contact Rob Parsons at 934-6800 or rparsons@tcnpress.com.