IDAHO FALLS — As its latest expansion project nears completion, the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office is hosting an open house of its jail for the public.
The open house will be held on Friday and Saturday mornings, beginning at 10 a.m. and ending at 2 p.m. Those who are interested in attending will tour the jail and its new special housing unit and learn about working in the jail.
Sheriff’s spokesman Sgt. Bryan Lovell told EastIdahoNews.com that signs would be in place to help guide community members to the jail’s main entrance for the tour.
The jail, which was built in 1998, is located at 900 Environmental Way in Idaho Falls.
The new special housing unit will expand the jail’s overall capacity to 623 inmates, but drastically increase the once-limited special housing unit. The unit serves inmates who have special needs who require more monitoring, have medical needs, are suicidal, or pose a danger to themselves or others. The expansion will also ensure the safety of these inmates by keeping them separate from the rest of the population.
Lt. Brian Johnson told EastIdahoNews.com in January that when the jail was built, there were 19 beds available in the unit. The new unit will expand to 168 beds and include new technology to ensure the safety of those housed within. This includes radar to track movements, heart rates, and respiration.
With the new expansion, the sheriff’s office is also looking to expand its workforce. Lovell said more deputies will need to be hired in addition to the current vacancies at the sheriff’s office. In total, 16 detention deputies are needed to fill the current gap.
Detention deputies oversee the jail’s day-to-day operation and perform a wide range of duties. Lovell said this includes taking care of those going through court matters, ensuring the safety of each inmate, and overseeing the jail’s programs like IGNITE.
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“They’ve got a busy job and an important job. There’s a lot more to it than what people realize,” Lovell said. “That’s one of the reasons for this open house is so people can kind of get a glimpse of all the spinning wheels and the things that we have going on.”
With the need to hire new deputies, Lovell said the process requires applicants to fill out an online application and then, from there, take a written test, a physical abilities test, do interviews and background checks.
Lovell said about 10 to 20 people apply every four to six weeks, but after the written test only two thirds remain. After the physical test, half will remain and go through the interviews and background checks.
“We have been getting some good applicants and people with good interest and are driven for that kind of a career, and (we) want to build on that,” Lovell said.
To learn more about becoming a deputy, visit bonnevillesheriff.com.
The post Sheriff’s office invites community to tour jail and new special housing unit at open house appeared first on East Idaho News.
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