LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Bullitt County Jailer Bryan Whittaker's vision for the jail is much different than that of its former administration.

The new leadership and additional funding coming into the jail are helping upgrade operations. It's also helping change the jail's negative reputation. 

"I take pride in my county,"  I knew there were changes that needed to be made," Whittaker said. "I wanted to build a team with me that could get it done.

"Whatever image people have of the past administration, that's in the past. We're looking forward."

Whittaker took over for former jailer Paul Watkins after he died suddenly in November.

"It was really a strange operation," Whittaker said. "The first thing was to get everything organized and bring stability to the jail."

Since then, Whittaker and his staff have managed more than 200 inmates at the facility.

Several current inmates are performing supervised work in the county, cleaning up trash off of the streets. A group of about six low-risk, non-violent inmates head out for cleanup efforts Monday through Friday. They're paid through commissary, which is an inmate's personal fund while behind bars, all made possible through a litter abatement grant.

"It's a win-win situation for them, the jail and the citizens out here," Whittaker said. "When they drive by, they'll see cleaner roads."

The jail has also begun offering more training from the Kentucky Department of Corrections, and Whittaker said the training will cover topics like how you handle things in a cell, how you walk them down the hallway and more.

He said training deputies and employees was critical following excessive force incidents and inmate deaths experienced under Watkins' administration.

"There were issues as far as the security of the inmates, as far as how they were being handled by some of the deputies," Whittaker said.

The jail is also bringing in more money through a variety of avenues. Currently, 114 of those behind bars at the jail are state inmates. The jail is paid around $35 a day per inmate for housing them.

Several inmate programs have been reinstated that have already brought in money as well. A substance abuse, life skills and a few others allow the jail to earn $1,000 per program graduate.

The additional funding for the jail has resulted in a $2 across the board raise for employees. The base pay jumped from $18/hr. to $20/hr.

"It's a law enforcement agency, but it's also a business," Whittaker said. "If we can bring money in to help the inmates, help the employees here and help the county save taxpayers money, let's do it."

As efforts continue to change the jail's image Whittaker believes more will share his vision. "I can only worry about what we can do and what we are doing." 

Related Stories:

Copyright 2023 WDRB Media. All rights reserved.