LOUISVILLE, Ky. — For the first time, Louisville learned some of the findings from the Metro Council's investigation into the Louisville Metro Department of Corrections (LMDC) Tuesday.
Metro Council approved this investigation back in February after several people died while in the jail's custody.
Since then, a lot has changed: Six more people have died in the jail -- an investigation ordered by the mayor's office (the GAR report) uncovered a number of issues after just three days in Louisville, and we have a new director of Metro Corrections.
Director Jerry Collins took on the embattled department in April. On Tuesday, he got a glowing review, contrasted by major ongoing issues at the jail.
David Beyer, a former FBI agent who is leading the investigation, said, "Director Collins has done yeoman's work in the past six months."
District 17 Councilman Markus Winled added, "We've been very impressed by the work that's come in."
While Collins has made a difference in morale and other areas, the jail still faces a slew of issue.
Staffing, operations, and facilities are the three main issues at the jail.
Staffing
Beyer found the staffing shortfall is leading to reduced safety for inmates and officers. He recalled short-staffed floors with only a few officers where there should be more.
Collins has already taken steps to address this issue, bringing in retirees for security and transportation. The director also said he expects between 35 and 40 new officers by January.
Beyer recommended the jail better utilize civilian staff for positions currently held by officers. Specifically, he mentioned maintenance. Currently, he said maintenance workers are not necessarily qualified for the positions they hold. "The people who are in maintenance get those jobs by seniority. Not by talent or skillset," Beyer said.
Positions obtained by seniority rather than knowledge or experience are not limited to maintenance. Beyer noted training instructors are placed mainly by seniority. That brings us to operations.
Operations
"From day one, ethics and ethical behavior need to be inculcated in all of the recruits," Beyer said, eluding that this is not the current practice.
On top of that, the captain in charge of training is keeping track of milestones and information for officers on an excel spreadsheet, rather than a more efficient system.
Beyer said the head of recruiting does the same.
When it comes to mail sorting, Beyer said the current practice "needs to stop right away." He described staff opening letters at their desks without safety measures in place, "Could you imagine if in one of those envelopes, a puff of fentanyl came out?"
As officers work with people who are incarcerated, Beyer said, "Corrections 101 ceased functioning at the jail."
Beyer said former director Dwayne Clark became fixated on the pandemic and let go of the basics, like making contact with incarcerated people. Beyer said, "You need to go in and talk to those people. Touch them. say 'hey, you doing okay?"
After the council meeting, WHAS11 News spoke with current Director Jerry Collins who added, "We're having to go back and really retrain a whole generation of officers that wasn't doing it. It was being discouraged. People were scared."
The investigator found cell doors were unlocked - one incarcerated person had placed something in a lock to keep it from closing - and the device used to keep track of the doors is "useless."
Turning to contraband, the investigator recommended a separate group of officers should work security at jail entrances so officers aren't "buddy-buddy" with security.
He also noted officers may be bringing in contraband on their smoke breaks.
Facilities
The largest issue with the biggest price tag is the jail building, originally designed to be the Metropolitan Sewer District (MSD) headquarters.
Investigator Beyer said multiple suicides at the jail could have been prevented if officers had a direct line of site into the cells.
Anthony Piagentini, R-District 19, noted things to change in the current jail and the need for a new jail may cost too much. "If we had an infinite amount of money, we could do both. But we can't."
Beyer responded, "At what point in time do you stop putting money into a pit or into a car that's going to die? That is the point where we are now. For 10 years, people have been asking for a new building here. Is it costly? You better believe it. "
For people suffering from mental health issues, the investigator recommended assessments be conducted during intake. Then, those with mental health issues go to a different area to be treated as patients, not criminals.
Beyer said the council members should make their own decisions on these issues, while they still can. He eluded to a lawsuit or DOJ decision that could lead to mandated changes, outside of metro government control.
This was just an update to the council, the full report is expected in the new year.
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