Chatham jail is outdated and all but outgrown

PITTSBORO -- The cell doors in the Chatham County jail are so narrow that guards have to drag sick inmates out of their cells to lay them on a stretcher.

The technology is so lacking that state inspectors recommended installing more cameras so inmates could at least wave in front of them if they needed help.

And at 51 beds, the jail is so small that officers can't separate adults from juvenile inmates, and those awaiting trial from those who've been convicted.

It's time, Sheriff Richard Webster told the Chatham County Board of Commissioners this week, to expand the 25-year-old jail.

"We're at maximum capacity," he said. "We really need to think about doing something."

Chatham County is on the cusp of a population boom. More than 10,000 new homes have been approved for construction in the next few years.

The current county jail won't cut it for a community predicted to go from about 60,000 now to 150,000 in 2035, Webster said.

On Monday, he and Capt. Michael Roberson, jail operations manager, asked the commissioners to start thinking about the future.

A recent study on the feasibility of a regional jail with Chatham, Moore and Lee counties said it would cost Chatham more than it was worth.

Steve Allan, president the Charlotte-based Solutions 4 Local Government, which did the study, urged the commissioners to replace the existing jail.

"It's an accident waiting to happen," he said Monday.

The jail is constantly full or nearly full, according to Roberson.

But even when it's at 85 percent capacity, managing the inmates is more difficult, Roberson said. There are more fights, more meals to prepare, and more inmate medical problems.

In some cases, the building itself poses potential danger to the officers and inmates, Roberson said.

For example, the jail's technology is out of date. An officer watches one video screen in a control room. Cameras monitor only the hallway leading to four cell blocks -- three for men and one for women. If a fellow officer enters a cell block, the officer in the control room can't see him on the monitor. Officers can't see or hear the inmates except during their rounds.

The state has taken notice.

In a report in September, the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services recommended placing cameras leading into day-room areas, and having two-way voice communication so that "inmates can yell, wave in front of camera or bang on door if needed."

County commissioners say they know the jail needs renovating but have been focusing on where to build and modernize schools, as well as find water and sewer capacity for new county residents.

"If I had to say, 'What do you want first, a school or jail?' I would have to say school, but we can't ignore the jail issue," Commissioner George Lucier said.

"If we had any money, we would put [a new jail] high on the list right now," Commissioner Patrick Barnes said. "At the moment, though, [Webster's] out of luck."