Union says 'crisis' at Louisville jail worse than 2017 problems

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- For weeks, the union representing officers at Louisville's jail have been sounding the alarm on unsafe conditions for workers and inmates. But this is not the first time that the jail has faced challenging circumstances in recent years even though the union says this time it's worse.

Back in 2017, inmate counts surged to more than 2,300 at any given time, creating both an overcrowding and staffing crisis. The Kentucky Department of Corrections began taking more state prisoners out of the downtown jail to help alleviate the problem.

Then, in March 2020, police and judges began trying to keep as many people out of the jail as possible with fears of it becoming an incubator for the COVID-19 virus. Inmate totals dipped as low as 1,100 but have been on the increase ever since. As of Wednesday, around 1,640 inmates were under the supervision of Louisville Metro Corrections.

While that number is still lower than 2017, Louisville Corrections FOP Lodge 77 President Daniel Johnson said the challenges are greater now than they were back then.

"We had more resources available to us then," Johnsons said. "We had more employees. We had more spaces we could put inmates and people that are put in our care."

According to data provided to the Metro Council last week, there were 82 total vacancies for the corrections department on July 1, 2017. As of Wednesday, Johnson said there are 125.

"We've already lost 55 and we've only brought in 22 (this year)," Johnson said. "Just since June 1, we've lost enough people to cover an entire shift.

On Monday, a fire was set at the jail. At the time of the fire, 13 officers were working overtime from the previous shift, and half of the staff was working some form of overtime.

The FOP said it has hit a wall with Louisville Metro Corrections and Mayor Greg Fischer, saying the only communication it has received from the mayor's office is to increase overtime pay.

An overtime incentive is seen as a "temporary band-aid" instead of addressing pay scale and filling open positions.

Corrections officers will make double for all the overtime they work after the pay change went into effect Friday. All officers, sergeants, lieutenants and captains will get double-pay for overtime for the next 60 days.

Johnson said the jail spent $2 million on overtime in 2018, which increased to $7 million on overtime in 2020. This year, the jail is on pace to spend $10 million on overtime pay.