Buchanan County Jail Precautions (7-7-20)

Buchanan County Jail Precautions (7-7-20)

Prisons and correctional facilities have been a covid-19 hotspot around the country...but not at the buchanan county jail.

Sheriff bill puett said they've kept the virus out of the jail by taking the virus and the inmates' health seriously... kq2's kilee thomas has the story.

Buchanan county has managed to keep their jail covid-19 free expect for one bookey passing through"we had one positive case that came in, but that was in and out.

We haven't had any positive cases contained in the facility.

That was one of the triumph folks that came in and was released."

Sheriff bill puett said they're keeping inmates safe preventing any outbreaks by enforcing safety procedures "as soon as an arrestee or an inmate comes through the door, they're screened by the nurse.

Their temperatures are taken.

If there's an indication there might be a covid issue, they would be isolated in a single cell away from everyone else and the process would start in getting them tested."

Including deep cleaning the facility have the necessary products to disinfect "we also have inmates that are going in and doing deep cleaning of the common areas- railings, tables, high touch surfaces, door handles.

We make sure we're using a correctional grade disinfectant to get that accomplished and we do that every night."

And the county is putting their money where their mouth is using part of the cares act money to prepare for possible positives cases"they're allowing us to use half a million dollars to build five new jail cells that are going to be segregated jail cells."

"the cells are individual cells and they have negative and positive pressure which allows for medical isolations as well as isolation for other reasons.

It's a good thing to have in place that allows us to keep inmate population safe and healthy and staff safe and healthy in a very close environment."

Sheriff puet said the jail's condition is all thanks to staff "we've been very very fortunate to not have any cases in the facility.

The staff has been extremely focused and doing a great job in working and making sure the inmates are taken care of."

Reporting in st joseph kilee thomas kq2 news the buchanan county jail also provides inmates with cleaning supplies...but the sheriff says there are no masks, and adds it's not necessary in the facility at the moment.

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