Pasco, Wash. – The Franklin County Jail has undergone a significant change in leadership. As of today, the Board of Commissioners voted to establish a Department of Corrections to manage the jail, effectively removing the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office from control.
This decision follows a state audit report released earlier this month, which alleged mismanagement of millions of dollars by the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office. The county commissioners expressed “great concern over the contract management and overall operation of the Franklin County Jail by the Sheriff’s Office,” according to the resolution they put forward.
A county jail employee voiced concerns about the impact of these changes, stating, “The lessons we learned are written on the tombstones of others…there is going to be operations greatly affected by this. I’m living proof.”
There has been frustration directed at the board, with questions about their understanding of the jail’s operations. One individual challenged, “Have you ever been there? What do you know? You know numbers, you know, money.”
Franklin County Sheriff J.D. Raymond criticized the commissioners for a lack of communication, saying, “It’s just to get it even at Jim Raymond, because Jim Raymond refuses to put up with their nonsense.”
Despite these concerns, County Commissioner Clint Didier assured that “there will be no cuts in staff. The only change we would be making is who will be overseeing the jail.”
Sheriff Raymond raised questions about how the transition will handle emergencies. “If you have an inmate assault or something that’s going on or an emergency inside the facility, the sheriff’s office responded to those things…there has to be talks about who’s responding to that,” he stated.
As for the sheriff’s office employees currently managing the jail, Sheriff Raymond noted that orders are being sent to return commission cards, IDs, and weapons to the sheriff’s office armory.
Sheriff Raymond also questioned the board’s authority to introduce new security, emphasizing that the law grants the sheriff the power to issue commission cards, which certify guards at the jail and courthouse.
