Fighting to keep the jail COVID-19 free

Several months into the pandemic, the Tippecanoe County Jail has yet to see a case of covid-19.

Correctional facilities across the state of indiana deal with their own outbreaks.

News 18's joe paul spent the day speaking with officals at the sheriff's office.

He joins us now to discuss what he saw inside the jail.

I saw a lot of disinfecting and cleaning supplies.

As well as staff in masks and protective gear.

I'm told that so far there are no positive cases at the jail.

But it's a different story at miami correctional facility.

At least 90 staff and inmates there have tested positive for the virus.

"right now, we're all still holding our breaths."

Several months into the pandemic, the tippecanoe county jail has yet to see a case of covid-19.

But jail commander and lieutenant tom lehman says that could change.

"we expect it to be here and we're planning for it to be here.

If we get lucky and we escape it altogether, we're very fortunate."

Sheriff bob goldsmith says his staff are taking extra steps to keep the virus out.

"early on in this we started cleaning, we clean every day, but we started being more diligent in our cleaning and what we are cleaning with."

Five-hundred-and- eighteen inmates are at the jail.

That's more than eighty percent of its capacity.

Which means the jail is considered overcrowded.

"there are concerns, but again, it goes back with how well are we cleaning, how well are we communicating."

Goldsmith says more inmates have been moved to in-home monitoring.

And he urged police chiefs to cite and release offenders when possible.

That's in hopes of reducing overcrowding.

"if you're dealing with a situation that could be a cite-and-release, we ask that they do that to keep those type of offenders out of our facility."

Inmates are limited to virtual visitations.

A-a, g-e-d and bible study programs have also been canceled.

Goldsmith says those measures prevent outsiders from entering the jail.

"we don't like it, but it's steps we had to take early on to get out in front of this to do everything we could to keep it out of here.

We're still not naive enough to think that it's not going to be in here, we can just continue to do what we're doing."

As news 18 previously reported, inmates began receiving tablets in july.

Those are being used to keep in touch with family, take a-a classes and work toward a g-e-d.

Jeff, back to you.

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