Sheriff cites inmate management issues
By Stan Welch
The recent firing of Captain Garry Bryant, who ran the Anderson County Detention Center for a decade, will have absolutely no impact on a study that is scheduled for August into the current and future operation of the jail, according to Chief Deputy Mike Mitchell.
Bryant was terminated last week. Sheriff Chad McBride cited some issues with Bryant’s administration of the state inmate program, which deals with state inmates who are finishing off their sentences back at the county level. Such inmates can be used to perform labor, such as grass cutting, litter pickup and such.
The recent firing of Captain Garry Bryant, who ran the Anderson County Detention Center for a decade, will have absolutely no impact on a study that is scheduled for August into the current and future operation of the jail, according to Chief Deputy Mike Mitchell.
Bryant was terminated last week. Sheriff Chad McBride cited some issues with Bryant’s administration of the state inmate program, which deals with state inmates who are finishing off their sentences back at the county level. Such inmates can be used to perform labor, such as grass cutting, litter pickup and such.
Sheriff McBride issued a statement that he had terminated Bryant and requested a SLED investigation into the situation. He also indicated that there were some issues with the way that those inmates were being managed, though he said nothing was yet to be determined to be wrong.
Chief Deputy Mitchell reinforced that position in a telephone interview with The Journal, describing the nature of the investigation as administrative at this point. “Right now, it is a matter of best practices not being followed in the circumstances. Hopefully, it will not move into the realm of a criminal investigation. I hope it goes no further. I have known Garry Bryant for a long time, but an investigation follows the evidence wherever it leads.”
Arlette Jones, a long time veteran employee at the Detention Center has been named interim director. “Sheriff McBride is committed to finding the best person to fill this position. It may be someone already with the Sheriff’s Office, or it may be someone from outside the department. But right now, we are very lucky to have Ms. Jones available to step in and keep things running smoothly. She has been with the Detention Center for over twenty years, so she definitely knows what’s what,” said Mitchell.
The contractor/consultant from the Department of Justice will conduct a study during the first week of August. It will involve all aspects of the law enforcement.
McBride requested the study earlier this year, after inheriting a jail that is chronically overcrowded; sometimes holding double the legal number of inmates. “We want them to look at every single aspect of this problem and how it can be addressed. The judicial and law enforcement system is made up of various moving parts, and how those parts function together is very important.”
One major problem is how slowly inmates move through the system. More than eighty per cent of ACDC inmates are still awaiting a court date.
Bryant had been in charge of the jail for a decade, during which it was consistently out of compliance with state and federal guidelines for overcrowding. He had been an advocate for improvements for several years, citing safety concerns for both his corrections officers and the inmates.
Chief Deputy Mitchell reinforced that position in a telephone interview with The Journal, describing the nature of the investigation as administrative at this point. “Right now, it is a matter of best practices not being followed in the circumstances. Hopefully, it will not move into the realm of a criminal investigation. I hope it goes no further. I have known Garry Bryant for a long time, but an investigation follows the evidence wherever it leads.”
Arlette Jones, a long time veteran employee at the Detention Center has been named interim director. “Sheriff McBride is committed to finding the best person to fill this position. It may be someone already with the Sheriff’s Office, or it may be someone from outside the department. But right now, we are very lucky to have Ms. Jones available to step in and keep things running smoothly. She has been with the Detention Center for over twenty years, so she definitely knows what’s what,” said Mitchell.
The contractor/consultant from the Department of Justice will conduct a study during the first week of August. It will involve all aspects of the law enforcement.
McBride requested the study earlier this year, after inheriting a jail that is chronically overcrowded; sometimes holding double the legal number of inmates. “We want them to look at every single aspect of this problem and how it can be addressed. The judicial and law enforcement system is made up of various moving parts, and how those parts function together is very important.”
One major problem is how slowly inmates move through the system. More than eighty per cent of ACDC inmates are still awaiting a court date.
Bryant had been in charge of the jail for a decade, during which it was consistently out of compliance with state and federal guidelines for overcrowding. He had been an advocate for improvements for several years, citing safety concerns for both his corrections officers and the inmates.
