Focus on Clark County Jail

Clark County’s Law Enforcement Center is located in the city of Vancouver, Washington in the southwestern part of Washington. The county is at the head of the navigable portion of the Columbia River, approximately 70 miles from the Pacific Ocean. The Columbia River forms the western and southern boundaries of the county and provides over 41 miles of river frontage. Urban Clark County is part of the northeast quadrant of the Portland, Oregon metropolitan area. The county’s population is more than 337,000 and has a median household income of $47,468.

The current jail facility at 707 W 13^th Street in Vancouver was opened in June 1984. At that time it had an annual operating budget of approximately $2,640,000 and brought the emergence of significant technological changes. Doors with big locks and keys began to give way to electronic remote locks. Typewriters and paper files were replaced with mainframe computers and databases.

The jail finished 1999 with an annual budget of $11,078,549 and is undergoing a major technological retrofit in the main jail. Electronic doors and locks are now being controlled with the assistance of computers. Mainframe computers are being downsized to faster, more efficient minis and networked PC’s. Fingerprints and mugshots are being taken electronically.

Remodel project

The remodel project involves an upgrade of a security touch-screen system and fire systems in the main jail. There are multiple variables to this project including, but not limited to, design, development, construction, staffing and space reallocation.

The first phase of the project was the addition of a computer equipment room located off Main Control.  This work was accomplished by the end of December. Main Control in 2000 is to receive new cabinets and a touch-screen operating system. The stairway between Housing and Main Control will be removed and the floor sealed and carpeted. Additional cameras in the jail will be installed. This will allow for eventual videotaping of the Intake Area, which could be useful in Court, especially in DUI cases.

Grant funds received from plans submitted with the Violent Offender Incarceration and Truth-in-Sentencing Incentive will allow us the funds to double bunk the existing maximum-security beds. Other than Medical, these are currently the only single bed cells left in the jail. Medical too, will have its remaining four cells double bunked to increase capacity.

A second way of better utilizing space involves changes to the pods and recreation units. One Indoor Recreation Area will be converted to a twenty-bed unit, which will house suicide and overnight inmates.  D4, E2, F3, and G4, the smallest dorms in each pod, will have their bunks removed and be converted into Indoor Recreation Areas.  C2, E3, D3, F2, and G5, the largest dorms in the pods, will have bunks added to absorb this loss. The total cost for this project is $1.3 Million.

This increase in capacity is sorely needed. The current bed capacity is 461 and the average daily population in 1999 was 588 inmates a day. Averages, however, do not reflect the times when the population broke the 630+ barrier. In difficult conditions such as these, the Clark County jail staff recognize and appreciate all the more the combined efforts of operations, support, food services and the medical unit in working together to manage.

Clark County Jail Work Center

On April 12, 2000 Clark County opened its new Jail Work Center. This is a minimum-security facility that is modern, efficient and makes the most of current technology. Once fully operational the facility will house 100 work release inmates and 100 in-custody inmates. The facility has a 10,000 square foot warehouse and a full-service kitchen. The Sheriff’s Office is currently looking for a partner to develop a jail industry in the warehouse space. Our Food Services Unit will service both jail sites as well as the county’s juvenile detention center. The Jail Work Center will also provide laundry services. Phase two will include an expansion of an additional 200 beds for a total future capacity of 400 inmates.

FUTURE GOALS

Goals for 2000 and beyond include completion of current construction projects within budget, the planning and design of Phase II of the Jail Work Center, complete the re-write of the jail’s policy and procedure manual.

1999 Clark County Jail Facts

·         Inmates Transported to  Courts:  14,722

·         Mini Chain Transports:  3,639

·         Total Inmates for Clark County:  944

·         Out of County Transports Non-Mini Chain:  112

·         Outside Medical Transports:  78

·         Escape Attempts from the Courthouse:    2

Medical Unit

Number of Inmates Seen at Sick Call:  24,049

·         Main Jail:  20,283

·         JDH:  3,766

Mental Health

·         Inmates Seen by Counselors:  3,697

Work Release

·         Incoming Admissions:  237

·         Terminations:  36

·         Program Completions:  193

·         Escapes:  1

·         Major Infractions:  57

·         UA’s:  1187

Food Service

·         Total Meals Served:  777,245

·         Main Jail:  675,346

·         DWI Program:  532

·         Work Crews:  17,574

·         Work Release:  63,665

·         Restricted Diets:  20,128

·         Average Meal Cost:$.89

Inmate Discipline

·         Major Infractions Written :  801

·         Minor Infractions Written :  2,152

Jail Operations

·         Escapes:            0

·         Escape Attempts: 2

·         Suicides:      0

·         Suicides attempts:11

·         Assaults Inmates:144

·         Assaults Staff: 2

Clark County Law Enforcement Center

707 W 13^th Street

Vancouver, WA 98666

360-397-2211