FARMINGTON — Sheriff Scott Nichols Sr. updated Franklin County commissioners Tuesday on the progress of getting the jail prepared as a full-time facility.

The state Board of Corrections voted to return the jail to full-time service during an emergency meeting pertaining to inmate housing on Jan. 12. The jail had been a 72-hour holding facility since July 1, 2009, when the county jails were consolidated into one system.

The BOC rejected Franklin County’s request in 2013 to return to a full-time jail, mostly because of needing the $600,000 the county sends in annually to help other jails. The county submitted a plan to reopen the jail as a full-time facility at that time.

Nichols said Tuesday that they will have the jail ready within six weeks to bring back the 23 to 24 inmates who are currently being housed at Somerset County Jail in Madison.

They are in the process of reinstalling bunks to bring the jail back up to a 29-bed facility. They are also modifying the jail to add more beds to help the state with overcrowding. 

Once the Department of Corrections approves the jail’s plan to add 10 beds to the multipurpose room, the jail will be able to house up to 39 inmates, Nichols said after the meeting.

If there is a need to increase that number, they still have plans for a rearrangement in minimum security to add three more beds for 42 total, he said.

There will be a mixture of minimum- and maximum-security inmates housed at the jail.

Nichols expects to bring the inmates back to Franklin County the first or second week of March, he told commissioners.

Help wanted notices have gone out for cook and corrections officer positions, he said. The positions have also been posted in-house. They have language prepared to make requests for mental health and medical services.

“Things are going very smoothly,” Nichols said.

Resumes are starting to come in. The deadline to apply for jobs is the end of January.

Once the Franklin County inmates return, it opens Somerset County to house inmates from other jails, Nichols said.

Since word has spread about the reopening, he has heard many positive comments about it.

After more discussion by commissioners on the problems related to the consolidated jail system, commissioners voted to put the cook positions on the pay scale.

“Keep on keepin’ on, sheriff — you have our full support,” County Commission Chairman Gary McGrane of Jay told Nichols.

dperry@sunjournal.com