LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Louisville Metro Council is examining the final budget presentations before settling how the $1.3 billion will be spent for the next fiscal year.
Mayor Greg Fischer is putting public safety front-and-center, with more than $58 million recommended for the Department of Corrections.
This is the first budget for new Jail Director Jerry Collins, who took over LMDC shortly after the eighth death of an incarcerated person in less than six months.
Last month, he showed Council members tasked with approving his budget what improvements he had already made.
"One of the things we immediately did was one-point entry. So just like you guys came in a door, everybody comes in through a door," Collins told the members in May.
This security measure is centered around preventing drugs from getting inside the doors. He says more than 40 searches have turned up contraband.
A new body scanner was also installed soon after he took over.
"Resulting in 20 additional charges, with 90% of those being drug related," Collins said.
Moving forward, Collins is hoping to install two more body scanners and 197 security cameras, which he says would help them monitor every person incarcerated.
He's also planning to convert some rooms into suicide-prevention cells.
"Adding seven of those, two of them on the female side," Collins said.
In light of the death crisis, Collins told Council President David James that a review of the jail's services is still ongoing. In the meantime he's looking for ways to improve the mental health conditions for staff members and those that are in the cells.
"And also making an effort toward shifting from the term inmate and allowing people to focus on individuals who are incarcerated and ways to help with re-entry," said Dr. Mariya Leyderman, a psychologist.
The number of staff members at the jail is a problem.
Just this past weekend, Corrections ran into an issue with a shortage of people certified to test blood-alcohol levels.
During one shift on Sunday, the jail staff's union confirms that LMPD officers had to take people they arrested over to UofL for BAC testing.
The FOP points out this particular situation was due to a vacation, and they're in the process of getting at least eight more staff members certified by September.
In total, there are still more than 100 staff vacancies at the jail. Collins says recruitment efforts across the region are paying off, and hope to add 20 more to the ranks in the next few months.
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