02/15/13 The 2013 Marshall County Jail Report submitted by Sheriff Tom Chamberlin indicates that inmates were used in and around the jail last year working in the kitchen, laundry, mopping floors, and washing windows inside and out. Under supervision worked outside of the building cleaning the parking lots, pulling weeds in the landscaping area, and even assisted county building and grounds employees carry boxes from the basement of the County Building to a paper shredder truck, saving them time and money.
Last year a total of 151,345 meals or 414 meals daily at a yearly total cost of $149,736.08 for an average cost per meal of .98 cents. Sheriff Chamberlin explained that inmate workers are instrumental in the process of preparing food for the Meals on Wheels program under the supervision of the head cooks.
On site medical service are provided by Dr. Byron Holm through a contract with I.U. Health LaPorte Physicians. Dr. Holm visits the facility once a week to see inmates who have requested medical care and those the jail staff feels need medical care. The jail has access to 24 hour medical staff for questions and uses LifePlex Urgent Care and Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center for additional medical care.
The Bowen Center is contracted to provide weekly service for inmates. By providing therapist interaction on a regular basis, Chamberlin notes that the prescription drug budget has been reduced by hundreds of dollars.
The full time staffs of 29 and 9 part time turnkey/dispatchers continue to receive the educational requirements needed to better prepare and assist people during an emergency. In 2012 the jail recertified employees in C.P.R., blood borne pathogens and hazardous materials. Civilian personnel are being trained on a monthly basis in hand to hand self-defense and the implementation of Tasers in 2012 has reduced the injuries to staff and inmates.
