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Thursday, October 19, 2000

Commissioners praise recent jail initiatives
But Borchard and McComb tell the sheriff that the improvements could have come sooner
By Guy H. Lawrence

Caller-Times
Recent changes Sheriff Larry Olivarez has made at Nueces County Jail earned the praise of county commissioners Wednesday.
   The changes have streamlined the hiring process for jailers and improved both their training and monitoring. But County Judge Richard Borchard and Commissioner Joe McComb say that changes could have come sooner.
   All of Olivarez' changes in jail operations have come since the county was forced to pay $1.1 million in August to settle a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of an inmate who died while in custody.
   "We are really trying to make significant changes in the way we do business at the jail," Olivarez said.
   Borchard praised the sheriff for re-focusing on jail operations. But Borchard said the changes were made within the sheriff's budget and he could have implemented those sooner.
   "It has nothing to do with money. It has everything to do with the way the jail is being managed." Borchard said. "I commend the sheriff for addressing those issues."
   Olivarez said his changes in operations and hiring were not prompted by the wrongful death lawsuit field by the family of inmate Andrew Sokolinski, who died in the jail in 1997. Olivarez said the suit, which was settled in August, did not prove anything against the jail operations.
   But McComb said the lawsuit seems to have been a wakeup call for the sheriff.
   "I think it is good that he has taken the bull by the horns and made these changes. It is unfortunate that it took so long in coming," McComb said. "I think this lawsuit issue is the 2x4 between the mule's eyes that finally got their attention."
   At the commissioners meeting on Wednesday, Olivarez said he was misquoted in a story in the Caller-Times that stated that staff shortages were the cause of the jail's problems. The jail had enough positions budgeted, they just weren't all filled.
   "I guess it's how you interpret a shortage of staff," said Chief Deputy Jimmy Rodriguez. "There were positions available, but they were vacant. That's what the new hiring practices are all about."
   Rodriguez said that staff shortages weren't the cause of problems at the jail.
   "There were several problems," Rodriguez said. "This (staff shortages) is one of one of many things that are being addressed, and I guess he was taken back by that's what was printed instead."
   On Wednesday, Olivarez told commissioners about the changes that he has made, such as streamlining the hiring process from 11 weeks to one week. The streamlined hiring process has resulted in jail operating at full staff for the first time in years, he said. One way time was reduced was by having dispatchers do criminal background checks, rather than an officer. Also, tests that used to take a week to schedule, such as psychological, physical and polygraph, are now done the same day or the next day, Olivarez said.
   "Right now, today, we have no vacancies in the jail because of the new process," Olivarez said.
   The sheriff has also assigned officers to be trained to calm agitated inmates. He has also increased the pay for training officers and grouped them into quality assurance teams, encouraging them to actively work to ferret out deficiencies in jail operations.
   "The quality assurance team will be a pleasant addition to the process," Olivarez said. "They will be specifically working every day to make sure we are in compliance."
   The improved monitoring by training officers is possible now because the jail is at full staff, Olivarez said. Before, the jail operated short of about15 jailers, resulting in overworked and overstressed employees, he said. One of the factors that helped him achieve a full staff is the county's recent increase in salaries for cadets, he said.
   "I think in the long run we will have a better jail," Olivarez said.
   Also, to create a pool of potential jailer officers, Olivarez said applicants will be allowed to attend the two-week training session at the department's academy even if there are no vacancies. The applicant will not be paid for attending the academy as cadets are now, he said.
   In other business, the Borchard hired former assistant county attorney Tyner Little as an executive assistant. Little, who could begin work next week, was transferred from the county attorney's office earlier this month. Little will replace Fernando Escarcega, who is leaving to take a higher paying public sector job in San Antonio.



Staff writer Guy H. Lawrence can be reached at 886-3792 or by e-mail at lawrenceg@caller.com

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