2 Breckinridge County deputy jailers fired for having relationships with inmates

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Two deputy jailers at the Breckinridge County Jail were fired over relationships with inmates.

Documents show Deputy Jailer Angela Garza was caught "making out" with an inmate in the jail's mop closet in March. Another deputy saw Garza and the inmate enter the mop closet together, thought it was suspicious and told another deputy to check out the closet. After witnessing them "making out," the document says the deputy immediately left and went to notify Jailer Tara Shrewsberry.

Garza is charged with official misconduct. The jail said Garza wasn't arrested but was cited for the charge.

Shrewsberry said Garza's roommate at the time, Deputy Jailer Amber Alderson, was also fired when the jail learned she was having a relationship with another inmate.

The personnel policy for the Breckinridge County Jail prohibits such relationships:

"Fraternization is a serious violation in a setting such as a detention center or prison. ... Fraternization will not be tolerated and shall result in a disciplinary action up to and including immediate dismissal of any deputy found guilty of this violation and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."

The jailer said Garza and Alderson were using burner phones to contact the inmates, who had access to a texting system called "chirp," with which inmates get money put on their accounts to allow them to text people while they are behind bars.

When Garza was fired, the inmate she was in a relationship with was transferred to the Grayson County Jail, and Shrewsberry said that's when jail officials heard Alderson talking to an inmate on the phone and knew they were in a relationship with each other.

Shrewsberry said Garza worked at the jail from Nov. 5, 2020, to March 16, 2022, and Alderson worked at the jail Jan. 22, 2022, to March 17, 2022. She said both seemed to be good employees.