Chautauqua County Prisoners

[W. Gray]

I just read in the Prairie Star about the Chautauqua County jail being closed by the state fire marshal and six county prisoners are now being held in the Elk County jail at $1,000 per month per prisoner. The Chautauqua County sheriff is encouraging these fellows to bond out so that the county can eliminate that expense. Apparently, none of them have the means to do so.

This reminds me of a story in the Elk County history book about the Howard County sheriff using the Allen County jail at Iola to house prisoners. He would have to take his prisoner from Elk Falls to Iola for incarceration (78 miles one-way by today's shortest section road route).

When the prisoner was needed in Elk Falls for court or whatever, the sheriff would ride to Iola, retrieve him, and lock him up in a boarding house room while he was in town. Howard County had no jail in Elk Falls and Elk Falls did not have a town jail.

Since there were no railroads, the distance of 78 miles would mean it would take at least two days on the trail to transport a prisoner either to or from Iola. Seems like being on the trail would have been a good time to try an escape but only one prisoner is reported to have escaped and that was from the boarding house in Elk Falls rather than from being out in the open. (Maybe the sheriff hogtied the prisoner and put him in the back of a wagon?)

Sheriff Janet answered some questions about the Elk County jail on this forum once, but I don't think I asked her how today's Elk County prisoners get fed.

Does anyone know?

[Tobina+1]

Well, I don't know how they get fed once they're in the EK jail, but apparently on the way there they get quite a treat... on Friday at noon we saw 2 CQ cops and 1 inmate eating at the pizza buffet at Poplar!

[Wilma]

Janet used to carry in the noon meal for the prisoners, but breakfast and the evening meal were prepared in the jail kitchen.  The county pays the sheriff so much per meal that is served and the sheriff pays for all supplies and meals that are carried in.  I don't know how they do it now.

[W. Gray]

I never would have thought they would have a kitchen (rather than an outside contract) but perhaps that is the cheapest way to go about it.

That would mean they have a jail chef or perhaps a deputy acts as the cook.

[sixdogsmom]

Now that would be something to aspire to, the Elk County Jail chef! 

[W. Gray]

Who knows, that could be one of the best kept job secrets in the county.

[Wilma]

When the jail was built it was taken care of by the sheriff and his wife.  They lived in the apartment in the building and shared the kitchen with the jail.  The wife did all the cooking, most of the dispatching and the other things that went along with being a homemaker.  Of course, they never had many prisoners at one time and it was part of the requirements of being the sheriff that he live in the apartment.  Gradually as time went on, and a new sheriff, there were more and more prisoners and since the sheriff's wife had a job of her own, it fell to the dispatchers to take care of the cooking.  I think that was when part of the meals were ordered in.  The day dispatcher simply did not have the time to prepare the noon meal and take care of her dispatcher duties, too.

Then when Janet became sheriff, she began taking in prisoners from other counties for which the county was paid.  The county still paid the sheriff the going rate for the meals served.  The county made money off the prisoners from other counties.  I don't know if the current sheriff is still boarding prisoners other than when necessary, as it is now, to help out a neighboring county.   I believe the rate being paid to Elk County is less than what is required at most other jails for boarding out of county prisoners.  Also, the current sheriff does not live at the jail.  I don't know how night calls are handled since it was so easy to get Janet up if necessary, while now, the sheriff has to be called, then wait for him to get to the jail.

[W. Gray]

When I was a boy, I recall seeing the old sheriff's apartment and jail on what is now the south lawn of the courthouse.

Then on one trip to Howard it was gone and I assume they built the new jail about the same time.

[Wilma]

The new jail sets on the east side of the courthouse.  I don't know just when it was built there as it is the only one I remember.

[pepelect]

Why don't we build a bigger jail out of the old school building and house more out of county prisoners? 

First use prison labor to remodel it.

Then use prisoners to finance it.