'Woefully inadequate' | Interim report ordered by Metro Council into Louisville's jail shows major problems | Local News

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A string of deaths inside Louisville's jail led to the launch of multiple investigations earlier this year.

Metro Council hired David Beyer, a retired FBI agent, to conduct a report as some were skeptical of the consultant Mayor Fischer's office hired to investigate the jail. The results of the mayor office's investigation were released earlier this month.

Beyer described the former office building, turned jail as "woefully inadequate" multiple times throughout the Government Oversight and Audit committee meeting on Tuesday night.

Beyer: suicides inside jails are a nationwide problem, but the recent uptick in Louisville can’t be blamed on national trends. Says Reno, NV jail only had 2 all of last year
— Conroy Delouche (@ConroyDelouche) October 18, 2022

Director Jerry Collins stepped into the job in April, staring down a string of deaths a staffing shortage.

"He inherited a woefully inadequate facility with a lot of problems," Beyer said.

"It's tough with what we're dealing with, but you know, we can't make excuses. We have to deal with what we have," Collins said.

Beyer visited the jail multiple times over the past several months during the investigation, which revealed some of the working conditions facing the staff.

He compared some areas to "dark tombs." Control rooms were blocked by sheets for privacy, but in turn, impaired the line of sight to watch over inmates.

There isn't natural light on entire hallways, and some areas are in bad need of repair.

Beyer says matters only got worse in 2020 and 2021 under former director Dwayne Clark, who oversaw the jail during civil unrest and the pandemic.

"Corrections 101 ceased functioning," Beyer said.

The fixation on COVID, Beyer says, led to a hands-off approach and bad training habits for new employees.

"So now we're having to go back and really retrain a whole generation of officers," Beyer said.

Overall, Beyer praised the changes brought in by Collins. He says Collins is a leader for the staff and has boosted morale. He also commended the director for hiring a staff psychologist to better monitor mental health of inmates and employees. Beyer says that Collins has already made some of the basic technology upgrades.

But there are still improvements needed. He says some departments are spread too thin. There are employees working long hours. Beyer found that certification data is hard to find, such as CPR-training deadlines.

He also said to build a stronger staff, there needs to be a priority placed on the culture around training and recruiting.

Metro Corrections badge.jpeg — A Louisville Metro Corrections badge.

"Ultimately, my decisions are always gonna be life safety," Collins said. "So as bodies come in, it'll be much easier to get those folks help."

Collins says another 35 to 40 officers should be hired by the beginning of next year. Tightened security and the streamlining of data and positions are two recommendations Beyer is making.

Beyer warned Metro Council to keep in mind the looming department of justice investigation into Louisville Metro and LMPD. He recommends the city make drastic improvements to the jail or build a new facility entirely. Otherwise, the outcome of the federal investigation could force the city's hand.

"I think it's time that we recognize the potential risk that we have going forward the way that we are," Beyer said.

"I hope it doesn't come to what Mr. Beyer was talking about, where you're talking about the DOJ, and the consent decree and then it's not on your terms anymore," Collins said. "It becomes the federal government telling you how to do it, when to do it, what it's going to cost and what needs to happen."

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