County jails could hire 18-year-olds for support staff positions under legislation moving in the Kentucky legislature. Under the bill, these workers would not be in direct contact with inmates. Testifying in support of the measure was Grayson County Jailer Jason Woosley. He told committee members he’s responsible for three separate facilities.
“All three of those buildings have office space and we could use them for those types of positions, whether it’s answering phones, making copies, scanning documents into our jail software system, monitoring camera systems. Different type things like that,” said Woosley.
Woosley said one of his biggest needs currently is for nursing services. The county jailer told a legislative committee the 18-year-old employees would serve as support staff.
The hope would be for some of the new hires to become longtime employees.
“I would want to train them as they were deputy jailers. They would still not have the contact, but once they turned 21 they’d be ready to go to work as a deputy jailer. So, they would begin training the first day they started,” said Woosley.
Jailers from four facilities have sued the state over the cost of housing state inmates in local lockups.
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