PASCO, Wash. – The Franklin County Board of County Commissioners is expected to announce the transfer of control of the Franklin County Corrections Center from the Sheriff’s Office to a newly formed Department of Corrections.
According to a resolution on the Wednesday, April 23 agenda, the decision, effective immediately, relieves the Franklin County Sheriff of command over the jail, its staff, and budget following discussions by the board over concerns highlighted in a state accountability audit.
The audit alleged oversight in the county not receiving $937,000 in commissary commissions until the issue was raised in August 2024 by the newly appointed Corrections Commander, the audit report said.
In addition, the audit said mismanagement of a medical services account was discovered. The county paid approximately $1,211,371 more than contracted amounts for jail medical services between 2020 and 2024.
The Board also plans to adopt existing “Jail Policies,” the “Inmate Handbook,” and “FCSO General Orders,” making them applicable to the new department. The new department will be tasked to review all existing contracts, agreements, and grants to update the relevant representatives and address any other necessary issues, according to the resolution.
Starting April 23, 2025, the financial management of the jail’s budget, formerly known as Fund 134, will be under the control of the Franklin County Department of Corrections, the resolution said.
Franklin County Sheriff JD Raymond drafted a letter expressing significant concerns to the resolution saying jail staff are trained law enforcement officers and that a transfer of jail control typically takes months or years to plan and execute.
“This commission provides them [deputies] with authority to be armed, lawfully arrest, and maintain order through the use of physical force if necessary,” Sheriff Raymond said in the letter. “There is no information known about the administrator or commissioners’ plans on how they are going to actually execute this resolution.”
The Sheriff expressed his belief that the action is politically motivated, noting disagreements between himself and the commissioners. He emphasized the potential impact on public servants and the uncertainty surrounding their authority. “Lives are at stake and being jeopardized for political reasons,” he said in the letter.
As for the audit, Sheriff Raymond sat down with NonStop Local News to talk about its findings. He said all actions were reported to the commissioners, auditors, and treasurer’s office.
“I’m not saying their findings are off. I’m just saying their approach is to blame it on the sheriff’s office because it’s not the sheriff’s office’s responsibility,” Sheriff Raymond said. “I’m within my right to dispute what they’re saying in their findings. And frankly, I plan on doing that.”
County Administrator Brian Dansel said it’s important to note that the findings come from the state auditor’s office, not the county.
“This is an independent third party that has no skin in the game one way or another. It’s not the county commissioners, it’s not the county auditor or the county treasurer, and certainly not the county assessor,” Damsel said. ”Jail contracts are run by the sheriff. That’s the sheriff’s responsibility. And I like the sheriff. I think he does a tough job. It’s tough to be the county sheriff. And it’s something that I look forward to actually working with him in the future. But as far as this particular circumstance, there really isn’t anything, any confusion.”
