By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CHEHALIS – For the past two years, going to the Lewis County Jail to visit an inmate has cost money, but that’s about to change.
The facility installed an Internet-based system for visitation that allowed for family or friends to avoid the drive to Chehalis to see their loved ones, by logging in and paying a fee.
The same technology is used however, with inmates chatting from their cell areas to a video screen while their guests are viewing another screen in the lobby area of the same building. The cost is 50 cents per minute.
Jail Chief Kevin Hanson said he hopes free visits in the jail lobby can begin again in mid-January. It will take some programming changes by the vendor, he said.
Part of the reasoning for the switch, Hanson said, is he got advice during a course on incarceration legalities he attended that suggested charging money to people who come in to the jail to see inmates was a practice on somewhat shaky legal ground.
When he and other administrators of the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office shared the news with the county board of commissioners earlier this month, Sheriff Rob Snaza said it was something they’d been talking about doing for awhile. The sheriff’s office runs the jail.
“It only makes sense,” Snaza said. “It’s the right thing to do.”
Defendants can be sentenced to up to 364 days in the jail. For those awaiting trial, their stay in some cases has been even longer.
Hanson is aiming for the change to take place around the second full week in January.
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For background, read Northwest Public Radio’s Jan. 13, 2015 piece about the Homewav video visitation system as used in Lewis County, here
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter
That’s exactly what I tried to post with more detail and its still awaiting moderation
Deputy Hal Sprouse was going to have Sheriff Mansfield arrested for harboring s run away. Google Hal Sprouse or Harold Sprouse
Sure is funny that when I post comments naming certain people and examples it never actually gets posted while everyone else’s still makes it to the page
Bo, went there. Saw your goal of getting into politics, a poster endorsing Monica for President, and a letter of reprimand but nothing about drug dealing Lewis County deputies.
Free Air,
Have done that check out my profile picture on Facebook
John,
What lewis county deputy ever tried to arrest the sheriff?
Drug dealing deputies in Lewis County, Seriously?
First off, these strawman statements are automatic BS flag raisers. No credibility what so ever.
Secondly, as I’ve said before, if you or someone else knows of a corrupt cop (as in corruption, not the guy who arrested you on a DUI or gave you a speeding ticket) then by all means call the FBI office in Seattle or Portland. If there really is corruption, that’s how you make a difference.
Keep us posted on when you called and to which agent you spoke to. Either do your duty or stop posting such dribble.
We’ve all seen what happen when a deputy trys to arrest a sheriff he looses his job and everything gets covered up just like the drug deals that the sheriff department are involved in many people have witnessed certain deputys dealing right out squad cars and when reported or evidence turned in it either gets lost or never existed I may not agree with bo on alot of what he thinks but I do agree about the corruption and foul play of the Lewis county sheriff department along with prosecuting attorneys office enough is enough people need to start to fight back
BobbyinLC,
I do not want to be the county coroner or the sheriff. That is all I will say. But a different office I will be seeking. Just use your brain there is only one office that has the ultimate power to bring change and make a difference around here. It will be awhile until I can run for it. But in the mean time I will doing all in my power to make myself eligible. I have a long road ahead but like I said with hard work and due diligence I will one day be able to do it.
Bo,
There is no surprise to me which office you are thinking of running for. You have made it clear publicly. It is the one office you think is the only one who can arrest the sheriff but that is an old wive’s tale.
The sheriff can be arrested by any commissioned officer who witnesses him commit a misdemeanor or who has probable cause to believe the sheriff has committed a felony. Also any officer who has a warrant can arrest the sheriff.
And actually the official county position that many people think is the only one who can arrest the sheriff has no arrest powers at all and is not a commissioned officer.
“…charging money to people who come in to the jail to see inmates was a practice on somewhat shaky legal ground.”
Gee, you think? I understand the need to generate revenue to cover costs, but this went too far. My own guess, Bo, is that your complaint did reach someone at the federal level who can rattle the local old boys’ cage (so to speak). Well done.
BobbyinLC,
Yes, I do have plans to run for office in the future. That is all I will say. There is only one seat in the whole County that I want. With hard work and due diligence I will get elected to that seat. I won’t say what it is because that will spoil the surprise when I announce my candidacy. But yes to answer your question, I do intend to run for political office in Lewis County.
Bo,
Please do not take this as my being sarcastic or rude. I know you think the county government is corrupt. Have you ever considered running for public office yourself to try and change the system from within? Again this is a serious question and not designed as being sarcastic. It is just you appear to care about what happens in the county
I raised issue about this months ago. I even went as far as filing a complaint with the US Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division. I am glad to finally see this practice come to an end. This violates the very basic rights of the accused. Why should someone be charged money to visit a loved one who is incarcerated and has not even been convicted of the crime that they are accused of??? There are so many things that were immoral about this. I am curious if my complaint had anything to do with this. And yes XDs you are right they did not do this for the benefit of the inmates or their families but for their own selfish, greedy interest. I swear Lewis County’s local government is so corrupt.
XD you are right but isn’t that what we want from county administrators? to know what is liable to be a lawsuit and prevent that?
Get some body and dash cameras this year. The public is sick of Law Enforcement fairy tales.
They act like they are doing it to benefit the inmate or their families when the real reason is they are trying to avoid a lawsuit!
That’s not the only thing the jail or sheriff department does that’s shady or illegal