Chickasaw County Could Utilize Opioid Settlement Funds for Safety Jail Cell

Chickasaw County Supervisors have been approached by Sheriff Ryan Shawver about utilizing County opioid settlement funds to convert the single cell at the Chickasaw County Jail into a padded “safety” cell.

Shawver said the safey cell has the blessing of the state jail inspector.

Shawver told Supervisors Monday (04.06) the padded safety cell would also allow them to hold inmates in the Chickasaw County Jail longer and save some money spent on housing inmates in nearby jails, like the Floyd County Jail.

Shawver said converting a safety cell also makes sense since their current jail location in New Hampton isn’t changing anytime soon.

Supervisor Steven Breitbach added that it made sense to utilize opioid settlement money for the project.

Supervisors took no action on Shawver’s proposal, but the consensus supported the idea. Shawver will seek more concrete estimates on the project first and then let Supervisors decide whether they move forward.

Shawver put his initial estimate at between $30,000 and $40,000, with the County Auditor Sheila Shekelton reporting there was (as of Monday) currently about $80,000 in the County’s opioid settlement budget, with more payments still come in down the road.