Louisville Metro Corrections chief says jail ‘stretched to its limits,’ staff under strain

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — The Louisville Metro Department of Corrections is stretched to its limits, with staff feeling the strain inside the city’s aging building.

From the WDRB newsroom windows, the jail looms across the street. Emergency lights flash several times a week — a visible reminder of the strain inside.

A consultant hired by the city recently told officials the facility is operating beyond capacity. Chief Jerry Collins, who leads the department, admits that same pressure extends to his staff.

"Those folks are doing the work, and they're sacrificing because I put a lot on," Collins said, his voice emotional during a metro council meeting.

Emotion isn’t something you might expect from the man running Metro Corrections, but Collins says his commitment is deeply personal.

"I'm a Louisville guy," he said. "I care about this jail, and I care a lot about this city. So there's a lot of passion that goes into this job."

Corrections officers spend long hours inside the facility. Officer Daniel Johnson, who also serves as president of the Louisville Corrections FOP Lodge 77, told WDRB that the job takes a toll.

"We really look out for one another. We love each other,” Johnson said. “But it is a challenging environment. You're dealing with the community’s most challenging people — those deemed unsafe or unruly to be out in the community."

Johnson said some officers are working mandatory 56-hour weeks as the department continues to battle chronic staffing shortages.

At a recent Louisville Metro Council meeting, Councilman Markus Winkler urged the administration to do more to retain employees and pressed Collins about lingering issues tied to a $20 million lawsuit the city settled in January.

"Can you guarantee for us today that we are not holding a single inmate for a minute longer than what the courts require?" Winkler asked.

"No, I can’t guarantee that," Collins replied. "Because we have a human factor in that. What we have done is stop the class action on that by the steps we have taken."

More than 6,800 people were held longer than the courts required, but Collins says those issues have since been corrected.

As for the future of the downtown facility, Collins acknowledges there’s little momentum to replace it.

"There doesn’t seem to be much of an appetite right now to build a new jail," WDRB's Richard Essex asked. "I can’t rely on that. I have to rely on being innovative, being creative," Collins said adding and having a full staff.