Weber County Jail safe, secured

With the recent escape of two dangerous inmates at the Daggett County Jail, it raises the question of how safe our local jails are.

The Weber County Jail holds over 800 inmates, and for those watching over them, there is a lot of responsibility. Along with employees working day and night shifts, there are 76 sworn employees who provide specific custody functions. They go through several trainings to learn how to maintain custody within the jail.

"In our facility we say 'if the door has a lock on it, the door is meant to be locked,'" Capt. Kevin Burton said. "So if you're not going in and out that door, there's no traffic in and out of that door, it's to be closed and locked. And that's just the philosophy we've always run on."

Inside the jail, staff members are aware of the number of inmates at each shift, and keep track of inmates so they know who's in and out of each housing unit at any point during the day. Routine unscheduled walkthroughs are conducted hourly in the staff members' assigned areas. There are also three scheduled count times during the day, where security verifies the counted number of inmates with the actual number they are supposed to have.

Inmates always wear wristbands with their names and pictures on them, so they can be identified at any given time during the day or night. Not only do these inmates have to get through the employees to escape, but also meet the challenge of the building structure.

"There's a barrier from their cell out to the day room," Burton said. "There's a barrier from the day room out to the hallway. There's a barrier from that hallway into the main corridor, another barrier down to the release corridor where the property office is, where they exchange their property, and then a final barrier. So, six or seven steel doors and a lot of steel and concrete between them and freedom."

Since the jail opened seven years ago, they have not yet seen an inmate escape. With these security procedures in place, residents should feel safe about the steps that are taken to ensure the safety of the public.

"With respect to the Weber County Jail - or any correctional institution for that matter - any breach of security, such as the Daggett County incident, is always a good reminder to review," said Bruce Bayley, associate professor of criminal justice at WSU, "and if needed, revise policies and procedures regarding the classification, transportation and security of the inmates. Again, however, if you look at the number of individuals under correctional jurisdiction (inmates being just part of that population), you'll find that Utahans in general, and Weber County residents in particular, should feel confident and secure in the job these departments are doing."

Corey Taggart, business administration major, is one of the WSU students who are confident with the security at the jails.

"I feel safe about the Weber County Jail or any jail in Utah because they do take a lot of precautions to make them as safe as possible," Taggart said. "What happened with the incident in Daggett County was one isolated incident, so mistakes happen. They'll correct them and make them safer. I think even Weber County can learn what happened there and make their jails even safer. I never have felt threatened by them [jails] or in danger, and I think they are doing the best they can."

If an inmate did escape, the jail would call the county, the state and the U.S. Marshal's office to help with the search. However, Burton said he is confident they won't have an escape at the jail and doesn't anticipate one anytime soon.