Knox County Sheriff David Clague says there are a lot of costly things that need to be done at the Knox County Jail. The first, Clague says, is the jail is overcrowded and understaffed. When the Knox County Jail was built in 2004, it had a maximum of 120 beds. Last year, the average inmate population at the jail was 143. The jail also had an average population of 4 or 5 female inmates – today it averages 24 to 30. Clague also sees the need for additional wards with 31% of the population in need of mental health services. “With the mental health issues, I think we need a separate ward,” Clague said. “I think we need a separate ward for non-violent offenders. I think we need a section for sick bay. Effectively, I think we can do it with a handful of people. We currently have the nursing staff that’s there every day of the week. We have another nurse that comes in in the evening. We have a psychiatrist that comes in. We’ve got the sources coming in, now let’s just unify it so we don’t have to walk a half a mile to get to somebody.” The jail is currently going through a security automation system makeover since the current system is out of date. Clague says the jail was designed so additions could be made over time. He added that the roof is in need of repair, and the building itself is completely out of storage space.
