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SUNDAY FOCUS: JACKSON COUNTY JAIL Attacks highlight problems with inmate violence at Jackson County Jail Second serious inmate-on-inmate assault shows supervision challenges in 35-year-old jail Comment By Nick Morgan Mail Tribune Follow @@mtcrimebeat MailTribune.com By Nick Morgan Mail Tribune Follow @@mtcrimebeat Posted Mar. 20, 2016 at 12:01 AM Updated Mar 20, 2016 at 7:09 PM By Nick Morgan Mail Tribune Follow @@mtcrimebeat Posted Mar. 20, 2016 at 12:01 AM Updated Mar 20, 2016 at 7:09 PM --> Serious incidents at the Jackson County Jail: Nov. 19, 2012: Accused bank robber Bradley William Monical escapes by standing on another inmate's shoulders in the recreation hall, re... » Read more X Serious incidents at the Jackson County Jail: Nov. 19, 2012: Accused bank robber Bradley William Monical escapes by standing on another inmate's shoulders in the recreation hall, removing a piece of metal mesh from the roof and leaping into a nearby tree to freedom. It took a year before he was found and captured in Oregon City. May 20, 2013: A suspect in a Central Point 7-Eleven armed robbery dies after apparently hanging himself in the jail. Kyle Louis Mellon, 19, of Medford, was discovered by jail staff members while they were performing a routine check of the cells.  October, 2013: A contracted health care worker is arrested on charges she supplied heroin to an inmate in exchange for $500 from the inmate's girlfriend. Camilla Lynn Pierce, 45, of Eagle Point, later pleaded guilty to heroin possession and supplying contraband. June 15, 2015: A 46-year-old food-service contractor, Buddy Gene Arnett, is indicted on charges he traded alcohol, tobacco and a cellphone in exchange for sexual favors.  Jan. 16, 2016: A man in jail on charges he killed his dog with a hammer and a knife allegedly tries to kill his cellmate because he believes the man is "attempting to steal his soul through the bottoms of his feet," according to court records. James Jay Parker, 51, choked 66-year-old Michael Alan Hill with his hands, beat Hill's head against a concrete floor, then tied a bed sheet around Hill's neck to 'finish him off,'" court records state. Hill was hospitalized for his injuries and is back in jail on burglary charges. Parker faces attempted aggravated murder, among other charges. Feb. 27, 2016: Inmate Peter Anthony Confer allegedly follows inmate Donald Ray Smith into his cell, knocks him unconscious, locks him inside, then later forces him to clean up himself and the cell. Smith will require reconstructive surgery on his face after suffering a broken orbital, nose and jaw. — Source: Court records and Mail Tribune archives » Social News Two brutal inmate-on-inmate assaults in as many months at the Jackson County Jail illustrate the challenges deputies face in supervising inmates in a facility with an outdated design, staffing shortages and not enough cameras to keep tabs on each cell. On Jan. 16, James Jay Parker tried to strangle cellmate Michael Alan Hill in the middle of the night because "he believed Hill was attempting to steal his soul through the bottoms of his feet," according to an official's report on the assault. On Feb. 27, Peter Anthony Confer followed fellow inmate Donald Ray Smith to his cell and allegedly punched him so hard he broke Smith's orbital cheekbone, nose and jaw and rendered him unconscious. If that weren't enough, Confer later returned and allegedly ordered Smith to clean up both himself and the cell. There were 36 inmate-on-inmate assaults among 12,047 people booked in the jail in 2015, Jackson County Corrections Division Capt. Dan Penland said. So far this year, there have been four. “I think that’s a pretty low number,” Penland said, considering inmates are booked at all hours of the day, and many arrive intoxicated or angry. Inmates aren't supervised 24 hours a day, nor are they required to be. Oregon law mandates each inmate be checked once an hour. Those at risk for violence, medical problems or suicide must be checked every 15 minutes and the observations well documented. The number requiring special checks can range from five or fewer on a weekday to as many as 15 on weekends as inmates with mental health issues wait until Monday for a psychological evaluation from a health practitioner, Penland said. Penland said each inmate is assessed for risk and gets a classification when first booked, based on past behavior and criminal history, but oftentimes mental health issues manifest themselves only after the inmate is placed in a group setting. Parker was booked on charges he killed a dog with a hammer and knife, believing it had "bad juju" tied to his ex-wife. A week later, Parker tried to kill cellmate Hill by choking him, hitting his head against the concrete floor and trying to "finish him off" with a bed sheet tied around Hill's neck, according to court documents. Parker is now lodged in a cell alone. Penland said that if an inmate feels unsafe against another inmate, that's something staff takes seriously and addresses quickly. "If an assault occurs, that puts us in danger because we have to deal with it," Penland said. Jackson County Sheriff Corey Falls and Penland both said they strive to keep inmates safe. "I think we have an obligation and a duty, not only within our community but also within our jail, to keep people safe within our correctional facility," Falls said. Jail's linear design outdated Penland wrote in a sheriff's department February update that because of the 1981 jail's linear design — long hallways with cells lined on one side — "anytime a deputy moves to observe one cell, another cell is left unsupervised." Modern jail designs are "podular," with observation in the center of the facility, he said. The jail is four stories, with a basement (now closed), an infirmary on the first floor and recreation areas on the fourth floor. Current capacity is 230 inmates. Bunked cells typically lodge two inmates apiece, and up to eight cells on a floor are connected by a day room shared by 15 or 16 inmates. The locked area and cells are visible behind glass that corrections deputies monitor and are visible from cameras inside the building. Inmates' cell doors are opened about 5:30 or 6 a.m., allowing them access to the day room. Breakfast is served by 10 a.m., and inmates' cells must be tidy by lunch. "If that's all done, they'll get their TV and telephones," Penland said. During afternoon court sessions, inmates are locked in their cells for two or three hours, but they can come and go from their cells late afternoons and evenings. Penland said that aside from exceptions such as disciplinary actions, cell doors remain open during the day. When inmates are using the toilet inside their cells, they can keep the door ajar. Someone has to physically close the cell door to lock it. Inmates use an elevator to access the infirmary for their medications and the recreation areas for their scheduled exercise. Penland said a modern jail design would reduce inmate movement between floors, with recreation and medical facilities nearer to jail cells. Penland said the constant movement can be a logistical challenge when considering that inmates are grouped together based on the type and severity of their crimes, and that many inmates have "keep-away" lists barring them from contacting certain other inmates — for reasons ranging from rival gangs to involvement with ex-girlfriends. "Ultimately a higher-capacity, better-designed jail facility is needed to serve the county, especially considering current inmate population and trends," Penland said in a 2015 grand jury report on the jail. The grand jury acknowledged a new jail is a several-year project and not a quick fix. Former Sheriff Mike Winters made similar suggestions following a National Institute of Corrections audit of the jail in January 2006. Winters said the jail was outdated the day it was built and a new one was needed. Falls said he's open to revisiting the topic of rebuilding the jail, with community input. "I think there needs to be a discussion on it," Falls said. Falls said there are issues beyond construction costs to consider, such as facility location and inmate logistics. A podular-style jail in White City would require fewer deputies to supervise, but higher transportation costs getting inmates to the courthouse. A new facility in Medford must be located away from neighborhood schools. And rebuilding on the current site has its own problem. "Where do we put 230 inmates in the interim?" Falls said. Staff shortages prompt basement closure In 2014, Winters spent $2.7 million to remodel the jail's basement in order to house another 62 inmates. But Falls, who took over in January 2015, closed the basement at the end of that year, citing inmate and staff safety concerns. He wanted deputies to focus on training while he worked to fill seven openings in the jail. "It was not a popular decision, but I thought it was the right thing to do," Falls said. From January to November 2015, shortages in jail staff were alleviated by mandatory overtime and help from a patrol deputy. Falls said he decided to close the basement when he saw a drop in the already-low percentage of corrections deputies meeting the state-recommended 40 hours of yearly training. The percentage of deputies meeting that standard declined from 33 percent in 2013 to just 13 percent as of November 2015. "I thought forcing people to work overtime and under-training them was problematic," Falls said. Falls said training reduces liability and improves deputies' ability to do their job. Penland said the training seminars and classes include first-aid refreshers, reminders of laws governing the jail, firearms training and defensive tactics. "It kind of runs the gamut on things we deal with every day," Penland said. Currently there are six deputy openings at the jail. A seventh position will open after a corrections deputy moves to the patrol division. Moving patrol deputies to work in the jail doesn't pencil out, Falls said. Out of 35 positions in patrol, six are designated for the White City Enhanced Law Enforcement District, three are designated for Shady Cove by contract with the city, and four are on traffic, which is self-funded through ticket revenue. Of the 22 left, three criminal deputy positions are vacant, two graduated from the police academy Friday, so they won't work independently until early fall, and one deputy coordinates the school safety program. "Out of those 16, six have been corrections-certified, but that doesn't mean that's current," Falls said, saying the corrections skill set and training are different. Of the eight staff members in the detective and medical examiner program, five detectives could be drawn, but Falls doesn't think it's the best use of resources. "It comes down to caseload," Falls said. The number of jail staff working at a given time is confidential, but Penland and Falls said they're still able to keep a minimum inmate-to-staff ratio through overtime. Jail has surveillance cameras, but not enough Some may consider 74 cameras inside a building to be enough, but not Penland. "Believe it or not, we'd like to see more," Penland said. Since the basement closure, only 62 of those cameras are in use. The monitoring system was installed in 2006, but its recording capabilities have since been upgraded, Penland said. The video feed is monitored at a first-floor station manned 24 hours a day. The bulk of the cameras are placed on the first floor, with about 12 cameras observing the jail entrances and booking area. "The rest are spread around at key points throughout the jail," Penland said. Other cameras are located at key entrances, in inmate dormitories and day rooms, near the elevator and at hallways and specific cells, but Penland said some of those camera feeds have only one perspective when a second look could save a deputy a trip up the elevator. "There's just areas in the jail where we'd like a different view," Penland said. Reach reporter Nick Morgan at 541-776-4471 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @MTCrimeBeat. By Nick Morgan Mail Tribune Follow @@mtcrimebeat MailTribune.com By Nick Morgan Mail Tribune Follow @@mtcrimebeat Posted Mar. 20, 2016 at 12:01 AM Updated Mar 20, 2016 at 7:09 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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