Putnam Sheriff’s Department To Invest In Monitoring Devices For Work Crew Participants

A new state law will require the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department to spend additional money for inmates that participate with the county’s work crews.

Sheriff Eddie Farris said starting January 1st, any prisoners that leave the jail for work-related programs will have to have ankle monitors or be accompanied by an armed deputy. Farris said they will implement the monitoring devices instead of arming those deputies accompanying the inmates.

“It’s not safe, I certainly don’t feel comfortable,” Farris said. “Our personnel are trained but when you are in a van with eight or nine or 10 other inmates it doesn’t really matter how proficient you are or smart you are. One person cannot overcome five or 10 inmates.”

Farris said they would not predict that to occur regardless. He said all inmates who participate on work crews are not convicted of violent crimes, but rather minor offenses such as petty theft.

Farris said at any given time Monday through Friday the county will have approximately nine work crews active. He said they do things like clean up state and county roads and do maintenance at various county buildings, such as the animal shelter or the community center.

Farris said the new law will cost the county about $5 to $7 per day, per inmate. He said once the jail project is complete and there are more inmates, that number could increase.

“This is going to be a burden on the county to fund this new law,” Farris said. “(…) We did not have that added in our budget. This new law slipped by me prior to us submitting our budget for this year. So we’re looking to add that and it’s part of doing business and running a jail facility.”

Farris said he believes this new law came as a result of an incident in west Tennessee. He said it is also possible that lobbyists for these companies had an influence on pushing this law through.