Decatur County Sheriff's Captain Janice Van Kirk was announced as the Georgia Jail Association 2010 Detention Supervisor of the Year at the County Commission meeting on Tuesday evening. The award was given at the recent Georgia Jail Association Summer Training Conference held in Columbus.
Sheriff Wiley Griffin, Lt Beth Shaffer, President of the Georgia Jail Association and a Lieutenant with the Houston County Sheriff's Office and Captain Janice Van Kirk with State Award
Captain Van Kirk, a native of Bainbridge, has been employed with the Decatur County Sheriff's Office since November 1993. She is the only remaining member of the original staff hired when the Jail relocated to Spring Creek Road. As a Deputy Sheriff, under the direction of Sheriff Wiley Griffin, she serves in the position of Jail Commander.
Nominated by her fellow officers, she was chosen to receive the award because of her leadership and diligence in striving to make the jail the "best running jail in Georgia."
Captain Van Kirk stated that she is extremely honored to be chosen from among such a worthy group of Georgia Supervisors. She feels that the award could not have been possible without the hard work of each of the Decatur County Detention Officers who work under her supervision.
Decatur County Sheriff Wiley Griffin praised Captain Van Kirk. Sheriff Griffin stated that Captain Janice Van Kirk supervises 33 detention officers. She is responsible for the safety and security throughout the jail. Captain Janice Van Kirk is often heard saying "be firm but fair" and she practices this in her everyday operations of the jail.
Her leadership skills are an asset to the Decatur County Sheriffs Office. She is always professional and strives to make sure each detention officer conducts themselves in the same manner.
Sheriff Griffin also took the opportunity to present some history of the Decatur County jail. Much of his remarks follow.
In the state of Georgia there are over 2,000 detention officers that have the responsibility of the humane treatment of over 41,000 county inmates in 146 counties, this 41,000 population does not include city or state inmates.
In June of 1988 Sheriff Shorty Phillips addressed Chairman J C Dollar and the board of county commissioners. He stated that his jail had the capacity of 43 inmates but he had a population of over 100 inmates and the liability to the county was too enormous to ignore.
Sheriff Shorty Phillips also stated that there were over 1,200 state inmates in county jails in the state of Georgia and the Legislature of the state of Georgia were neglecting their jobs by not removing these state inmates and has put the burden of the cost of housing state inmates on the county taxpayer.
Ladies and gentleman, that 1,200 state inmate figure has risen to 5,600 state inmates in county jails and the state legislature of Georgia is STILL neglecting their jobs.
In June 1988, county commissioners appointed 6 city residents and 5 county residents to a jail committee board. On that committee was chairman Bill Jones, Kermit Bates, Rufus Brock, Mary Ann Griffin, Jimmy Harrrell, Martha W Hodges, Oscar Jackson, Wilbur Johnson, Charles Rozier, Louis D Thompson, and Jack Wingate.
This committee was to decide
1. How much additional jail space was needed
2. The best site for an additional facility
3. The estimated cost of this facility
4. And the method for financing
In the November of 1988 election, Decatur County Citizens passed a SPLOST tax, by a vote of 69% to 31%, to raise $11 million with $7 million to be used to build the Decatur County Jail.
Also, Decatur County citizens voted 53% to 47% in FAVOR of imposing higher fines for criminal and traffic offenses, with a 10% add-on fund going to building and maintaining your Decatur County jail.
A contract was signed between the City of Bainbridge and Decatur County in August 1993 to house city inmates at a cost of $24 with an increase in that rate using the consumer price index. That same contract is used today and using the consumer price index the cost of day has risen to $38 per day.
On Saturday, December 11, 1993, Sheriff Murphy started making the transfer from the old jail to the new jail. At the Decatur County Jail grand opening, Chairman R T Willis announced that the splost funds had paid for the $7 million jail and no debt was owed.
The Decatur County committee in 1993 was still chaired by Bill Jones and the members were Mary Ann Griffin, Jimmy Harrell, Benny Hayes, Oscar Jackson, Stanley R Maddox, Marvin Rentz and Charles Rosier.
As Sheriff of Decatur County I have the responsibility to oversee the jail. Decatur County Jail provides a safe, secure, and constitutional environment for the detainment of adults who have been arrested for misdemeanors and felony crimes.
