Columbia county jail closed, town hall meetings scheduled

COLUMBIA COUNTY-The Columbia County Office of the Prosecuting Attorney and the Columbia County Sheriff's Department issued a joint press release to announce the closure of the county jail facility.

For the first time in nearly 136 years, the Columbia County Jail no longer accepts inmates.

Due to recent lawsuits in other small, rural counties and longtime concerns with safety and security in the jail and courthouse, Sheriff Joe Helm, in consultation with Prosecuting Attorney C. Dale Slack, has decided to stop housing inmates in the Columbia County Jail for the foreseeable future. Arrangements are being made with a neighboring county to house Columbia County and the City of Dayton inmates.

"It is a difficult decision, but the idea of facing the expense of a lawsuit, a tragedy in our jail, or harm to the public is even more difficult," says Slack of the decision.

Sheriff Helm adds, "Due to ongoing issues regarding jail security, employee and public safety, and inmate welfare, it is in the best interest of everyone concerned that the jail be closed until a suitable alternative can be realized."

The Columbia County Jail was manufactured as a ship's brig in 1874 by the Pauly Jail Building and Manufacturing Company of St. Louis, Missouri. The brig was transported to the courthouse building site in 1886, and the building was constructed around it.

The jail contains several original features-most would make it difficult and expensive to update and maintain to modern standards and best practices. The jail has capacity for ten inmates using four seven-by-five-foot cells containing two steel bunks and two fold-down bunks in the catwalk outside the cells.

Slack, Helm, District Court Judge Kim Boggs, Superior Court Clerk Kriston Chapman, and Emergency Manager Tina Bobbitt will host two town hall presentations on the reasons behind the jail's closure and other issues facing the criminal justice system in Columbia County. Town halls will be held on April 18 and again on April 19, 2023, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Columbia County Fairgrounds Pavilion Building. The meetings will be simulcast on Zoom for those who cannot attend in person. Light refreshments will be served. A question-and-answer period will follow a short presentation.