(Juneau) The Dodge County Sheriff says the county jail has remained safe and healthy during the global pandemic. Dale Schmidt says while there have been new challenges that have come to light in recent weeks, everyone is doing their part to keep the facility clean. He says they are working on creating masks for inmates to wear if they so choose and transports in and out have been limited.
Schmidt says they have implemented enhanced disinfectant protocols and purchased new equipment to keep the jail as clean as possible. He says one negative effect of the COVID-19 outbreak is that inmate visitation has been cancelled until it is safe to resume the activity. He says while some may say that “they deserve it, they’re inmates,” the sheriff notes that the practice promotes good human decency and keeps inmates in good mental health as well as engaged.
During Wednesday’s appearance on WBEV’s Community Comment, Schmidt said the jail has the necessary tools to handle a localized outbreak of the coronavirus. He says the jail has medical cells that staff can utilize if a person becomes ill and helps limit transmission of the virus. Certain cells have negative pressurization meaning the ventilation is not encapsulated with the rest of the facility. Schmidt says he has had contacts with sheriffs across the state and weekly conference calls with the department of corrections to share information and gain insights about the current situation.
