SALINA, Kan. (AP) The Saline County sheriff says overcrowding at the jail prompted a dozen violent incidents in the jail since June 1.
Sheriff Glen Kochanowski told county commissioners Tuesday that the situation has become so bad that he might be forced to house inmates elsewhere.
The sheriff says staff and inmates have been injured in the violence, and he’s concerned that the county could end up paying medical bills.
The Salina Journal reports that the jail housed 233 last weekend, 41 over capacity. The juvenile facility also is over capacity.
Kochanowski says when the jail is that crowded, it’s impossible to classify inmates properly and to keep gang members away from each other.
He says the overcrowding and fighting indicate that the jail needs to be expanded.
