I-R reporter finds a jail in need of upgrade

Editor’s Note — Ellsworth County Independent-Reporter’s Mark Gardner was granted a tour of the Ellsworth County Jail this past week by Sheriff Murray Marston, who started his new job in early January. These are his impressions:

By Mark Gardner

From the time you enter to the time you leave the Ellsworth County Jail, it’s almost as if you’ve gone back in time. The main lobby or waiting area is original from the time the jail building was built 20 years ago. For more than one person there’s nowhere for everyone to sit — or even fill out paperwork. Conditions get worse behind the scenes. Ceiling tiles appear to be rotten. The hallway is lined with buckets to catch water and cluttered with old books and pieces of furniture that are no longer used. Several deputies share a computer, which can create a backlog of paperwork.

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