‘Packed house’ cause of call for part-time jailer

Whitman County Sheriff Brett Myers told county commissioners Monday morning that he needs to add a part-time jail position as soon as possible.

With an increased jail population, Myers said he had to consolidate part-time positions to full time. He now has 13 corrections officers on staff.

“We have a packed house,” he said. “It’s really difficult to give time off.”

Myers calculates that without the addition of a part-time employee, the department will have to pay 828 hours of overtime amounting to $21,000 in overtime hours.

A part-time position could cost a little more than $14,000, a savings of about $6,000.

“It would not have a huge impact on the budget this year,” he said. “It’s either pay in overtime or regular part time.”

Myers also said the advantage to training a part-time position is that if a full time job opens, the part-timer can step in.

He also said inmates seem to have increasing medical problems that jail personnel must attend to and a part-time position would allow more time to complete daily tasks.

The part-time position would not have benefits. Training takes about a month and a half. Pay from April through December would be almost $9,300 for 632 hours.

Commissioners agreed to consider the request and possibly approve the position later this month.