Family Members of Offenders Concerned Amid COVID-19 Outbreak

For nine months the Tippecanoe County Jail was able to keep COVID-19 out of its facility.

However, the jail has since had multiple cases..

Which has made some show concern for their loved ones currently being held at the jail.

Jail was able to keep covid-19 out of it'facility.

However..

The jail has since had multiple cases..

Which has made some show concern for their loved ones currently being held at the jail.

I talked with one person who shared those concerns as well as the sheriff who addressed them.

"i'm scared for them all."-jerry sturgill jerry sturgill has family and friends currently serving time at the tippecanoe county jail..

He says his loved ones say there isn't enough social distancing.

"there are three and four in a cell.

Supposedly they are putting boats down on the floors for them to sleep on but i don't think they are doing that."-jerry sheriff bob goldsmith says the jail holds 603 inmates.

The jail currently has a population of 457.

He admits social distancing can be difficult.

"there are cells with that have more then one bunk in them.

Do we want people sleeping on the floor.

They wouldn't necessarily be sleeping on the floor there is a think called a boat it gets them off the floor and there is a mattress inside of that."-goldsmith.

However he says they have done what they can to educate inmates on proper covid-19 practices.

"the only way to have more social distancing in a jail is to build a bigger facility.

We have taught the inmates they have to wear masks whent they are outside of their cell we have encouraged them to be six feet apart."- goldsmith jerry feels there are ways the population could be reduced.

"some of them have maybe less then 30 days.

They need to let them out and make room for the others."- jerry however, the sheriff says releasing offernders early ultimately isn't up to him.

"we've been working with judges and public defenders and the prosecutors office and commnity corrections to see about getting people out that might be a first time offender or a non violant crime but that is abosolutly not up to me."-goldsmith.

Overall..

He wants people who have loved ones in the jail to know that they are doing everything they can to keep them safe.

"we take it seriously and we understand that people are concerned and they should be it's their loved ones."- goldsmith.

As of today the jail has 19 active covid-19 cases.

The sheriff says all offenders are given supplies regularly to clean and sanitize their cells when they feel necessary.

Nearly 38-hundred more