On the first day of her second term in office, Summit County Sheriff Kandy Fatheree discussed her plan to change the way some of the inmates at the Summit County Jail are housed.
Her focus is on getting more immediate and better help for inmates facing mental health and/or substance abuse issues by placing them in the same area of the jail.
Currently, there are five units that house men and one unit for women.
Male inmates who have mental health or detox concerns are not all in the same location.
“Right now, we have them spread out all over the jail,” said Timothy Miller, who started his first day on the job as chief of corrections on Monday.
Miller, whose last job was at the Stark County Jail, embraces the changes Sheriff Fatheree is implementing.
“The days of let people just sit and do time are over. We have to address the issue,” Miller said.
Fatheree said within two months, male inmates who are going through drug detox, have mental health concerns, or are dealing with medical issues will be moved to the specialized Unit 1, which has 98 cells.