Staff shortage hindering Hancock County jail operations

FINDLAY — The nationwide worker shortage has come to the Hancock County jail, too. The undersized, overworked jail staff is logging excessive overtime, so it is time to start reducing the number of inmates, Sheriff Michael Heldman said Monday. Heldman plans to ask the Hancock County commissioners soon for more funds to house inmates in other jails. He also will be meeting with Hancock County judges about possibly placing some nonviolent offenders in diversion programs or delaying their sentences. A special meeting of Findlay City Council will be at 3 p.m. Wednesday to discuss the city's incarceration options. "We are going to cut back on the number of people we have in the jail for a period of time until we get some people hired and trained," Heldman said. "We have to do that in order to make it safe for our employees as well as the inmates." The jail, as of Monday morning, had 82 inmates. It has 25 corrections officers, and in a few days, it will be down to 24. An ideal level would be 34 corrections officers, Heldman said. In the past year, a couple of corrections officers have been lost to private sector jobs outside of law enforcement. One was lost to retirement, two to private security jobs, and two were transferred to road enforcement, which also is stretched thin on staff. The sheriff's office never lets any jail shift go understaffed: it has always had at least five officers and one supervisor on duty, Capt. Ryan Kidwell said. But seamlessly maintaining that force in the 24/7 operation has meant too much overtime for the remaining officers, Kidwell and Heldman said. "We've gotten to a point where they need a break. They're exhausted. They're overwhelmed," Kidwell said. "They need to be able to step back for a minute just because of the hustle and bustle that's going on." In many instances, corrections officers work 16-hour shifts two or three times per week with only an eight-hour break before their next shift. The sheriff's office is recruiting new officers. Heldman and Kidwell said the defund the police movement has had a demoralizing effect on officers and shaken their perception of their job security. "When you continually hear the negativity of things that are going on, it's almost like you have something going against you each day to try to come to work, just to do what work you're required to do and be responsible for those you're responsible for (at the jail)," Kidwell said. "After a while, that plays on your mind." A corrections officer has a tough job. Tougher than it's been in the past. "They now have to be mental health experts … when they're not licensed professionals. They have to deal with substance abuse, again, when they're not licensed professionals," Kidwell said. Corrections officers also have to deal with inmates harming themselves. It all affects the corrections officer. "Then you get into that factor of needing extra assistance from an employee assistance program, given the fact that you're trying to deal with crisis deescalation after these incidents," Kidwell said. "You're trying to help the officer avoid the onset of post-traumatic stress disorder because the events they are involved in are no different than a car crash, they're no different than a murder, they're no different than lots of things that our road enforcement folks will see." Still, the pay is competitive, starting at at least $20 per hour with good benefits, Kidwell said. The job can also be a foot in the door for other law enforcement positions. The requirements to get hired: a high school diploma, a driver's license and passing a background check (with no felony or drug or alcohol convictions). Though only a high school diploma is required, the sheriff's corrections staff includes officers with two-year, four-year and graduate degrees. Once hired, a staffer can count on the sheriff's office providing much continuing education and training. "We pride ourselves on training and we average about 100 hours per year of training for our staff because we see the need for them to be knowledgeable about everything we do," Kidwell said.