Following Tuesday morning discussions and approval, the Christian County Jail and its staff will soon be implementing a 24-hour, 7-days-a-week healthcare service for its inmates.
The main reason for this, however, is because magistrates also approved for the facility to begin receiving up to 100 federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainees — and according to Jailer Adam Smith, such detainees require more attention than others incarcerated.
Smith said that for the past several months, he and other local officials have been working with ICE on getting answers as to what’s going on with inmates inside of jails across the nation.
In return, he noted that ICE officials have been going to county jails, and over the last two weeks, “things have been moving fast” — leading to this local proposition.
Smith said he anticipated needing the 24/7 service up “as soon as possible,” as they plan to receive about 25 such inmates at a time.
Gross income from the endeavor, he said, will be around $1.9 million annually…with a worst-case scenario of netting between $600,000 to $700,000 over the next three years of the Trump administration, and perhaps beyond if efforts remain in place.
As of Tuesday, Smith said the Christian County Jail had 45 federal inmates with room to spare for additional arrests. He confirmed that these new detainees are “not the local populous,” and would not be released “into our population,” but instead would be shipped “out of the country.”
The agreement, he added, is written so if something changes at the federal level, the services flex out effectively.
Smith and Judge-Executive Jerry Gilliam also noted this measure wasn’t foreshadowing anything at the local level.
Smith said that their provider, Comprehensive Correctional Care, had already started advertising open positions for this, but did not have the right to hire until fiscal court gave its approval.
Furthermore, Smith said two more deputies are expected to be hired, as the undertaking will add “significant transportation requirements” of these inmates, who must be deported often by air travel.
Magistrates also approved a “Memorandum of Understanding” to allow some national opioid settlement funds be administered through this healthcare decision.
In other court news:
+ Seeking further transparency and explanation of goods and services, magistrates voted to table transfer of the existing bond of Jennie Stuart Health to its new owner of Deaconess. Magistrates John Bruce, Russ Guffey and Philip Peterson specifically asked for public representatives to discuss the transfer in open court. Gilliam said he would return the message to hospital leadership.
+ Gilliam said he and others have met with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet to talk about the Lovers Lane and Lafayette Road intersection. School consolidation, he said, is coming together by next August. Road construction, however, will not be completed by that time, and the state/school/county conversation is ongoing. Gilliam said “the money is there and approved,” but construction has yet to begin. He confirmed it could be “two seasons away from completion,” though officials have been promised that the road will not be “shut down.” Cones and traffic issues will exist, while utility work and easement efforts are underway.
+ Gilliam also noted that over the last few months, he has been talking with Hopkins County officials and their Hopkins County Humane Society, which lost its roof this past April during severe storms. It’s possible, he said, that Christian County will try to help Hopkins County with housing animals on a temporary basis.
+ Speaking of animals, Christian County Regional Animal Shelter Executive Director Melissa Goff said last month saw 443 incoming animals and 249 outgoing: 82 dogs, 59 puppies, 35 cats, 64 kittens, two rabbits, five guinea pigs and two ferrets.
+ Reminder: the Hopkinsville-Christian County Library open house is rolling from 4:30-6 PM this Thursday.
