CHARLES CITY – The Floyd County Jail is not closing – contrary to recent rumors – but it will be shifting a portion of its workload to the nearby Mitchell County Jail.
According to Sheriff Rick Lynch, he said the jail is not closing, but “I’m just changing it’s functionality and operation.”
Sheriff Lynch told NIT that the jail, which is 73 years old, is not as safe as it should be and is not user-friendly, thereby increasing liability on the county. He said that the only options available to solve the problem are to build a new jail or make other arrangements.
According to Sheriff Lynch, a state inspection of the jail in October of 2013 stated that “The Floyd County Jail is an older facility that does not meet the current needs of the staff or public.” When the Floyd County Board of Supervisors requested a clarification from the inspector, he stated that “The building is an older building and the layout of the jail is not user friendly, does not promote safe working environment, and due to age will need more maintenance to maintain structural integrity.” The inspector also went on to state “Please do not take this comment as I (the State) will be closing the jail. Quite the contrary, it is only meant to make you aware of the current condition. I am only attempting to make Floyd County aware of my observations.”
A new jail would be nearly $5 million dollars, which is currently not a feasible option for the county to solve its dilemma with the jail and its condition.
The other option, which the sheriff opted for, is to change its functionality an how it operates. He described the change this way:
Starting July 1st the hours for the jail will be changing … we will no longer keep inmates over night, but will be housed in the Mitchell County Jail. The jail will be open Monday-Friday during business hours and court dates plus will still be inspected annually as required by law. I will be keeping one jailer and the jail supervisor who is also the court house and court room security officer.
Sheriff Lynch said that the move will reduce liability on the county and will save the county around $100,000 per year. “Mitchell County Jail is only 5 minutes from the Floyd County line,” Sheriff Lynch said.
The jail will lose 5 employees with the change. They were notified of the new arrangement on January 2nd. “I will be keeping one jailer and the jail supervisor who is also the court house and court room security officer,” Sheriff Lynch said.
