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County officials worried about security in wake of jail break-in
By Lynn Hotaling
A November security breach that came to light last week has set off alarms in the minds of some county officials.
At issue is a Nov. 23 incident at the Jackson County Detention Center during which Darryl Wayne Schiele, 19, of Slabtown Road in Cashiers, was able to tunnel under a jail security fence, cross a parking lot and drill a hole through a cell window to pass methamphetamine to an inmate.
Security fencing at the Jackson County Detention Center has been repaired and reinforced since Darryl Wayne Schiele, 19, of Cashiers tunneled under it and drilled a hole in a cell window to pass drugs to an inmate inside the jail. Schiele pleaded guilty in Jackson County Superior Court last week and was ordered to make restitution for the damage he caused. The incident has triggered concerns regarding the security of the 3-year-old jail on the part of some county officials, who said they should have been notified of the break-in when it occurred. – Herald photo by Nick Breedlove
Schiele pleaded guilty in Superior Court last week to a charge of providing drugs to an inmate and was sentenced to six to eight months in jail. His sentence was suspended on condition he pay a $500 fine and court costs and make restitution in the amount of $700 to Jackson County for the damage he caused to the jail fence and window.
While two officials – Commissioners’ Chairman Brian McMahan and county Manager Ken Westmoreland – regard the incident as one that raises questions about security at the jail, Sheriff Jimmy Ashe points to the fact that a suspect was apprehended and charged within 12 hours of the break-in and has since been convicted and ordered to make restitution. In addition, the drugs were recovered before the inmate, Jeremy Kinsey, also of Cashiers, was able to ingest them, Ashe said.
Also charged in connection with the break-in are Jeremy and Mollie Kinsey, according to Ashe.
McMahan and Westmoreland regard the incident as serious enough that they say Ashe should have alerted them to the breach, since Jackson County is responsible for the integrity of the jail facility.
“I think (the sheriff) should have reported (the incident) to the board,” McMahan said Monday. “I think it’s a major issue. If there’s a deficiency that needs to be fixed, (the sheriff) should have reported it. We’re (county commissioners) the ones responsible for fixing it.”
McMahan said he learned of the incident only last week when he heard a rumor that something had happened at the jail and asked Westmoreland about it. Though the county manager had not known of the break-in before McMahan’s call, he checked with maintenance and learned of the incident, McMahan said.
Westmoreland agreed that the jail break-in was cause for concern, calling the incident a “serious breach.”
Ashe, on the other hand, says he dealt with the matter promptly and efficiently by reporting the damage to county maintenance personnel for repair after the hole under the fence and the hole in the window were discovered around 11:45 a.m. on Nov. 23.
“The responsibility for operating the jail is mine,” Ashe said Monday. “The matter definitely needed immediate attention, which it got. Damage occurs at the detention center because we’re housing inmates. The routine thing is to report damage to the maintenance department. County maintenance employees respond right away to requests for repairs at the jail.”
County officials have never asked him to report to them when repairs are made at the jail, Ashe said.
“The problem was resolved immediately and appropriate action was taken,” the sheriff said. “If (commissioners) would like a courtesy call, I’d be happy to do that. It’s never been addressed before.”
Westmoreland agreed that there is no requirement for the sheriff to report such matters but said this incident was out of the ordinary.
“In light of the security cameras the fact that (Schiele) was able to drill without being detected raises issues,” Westmoreland said.
The security camera nearest the break-in is a fixed camera that does not have the capacity to pan the parking lot area, Ashe said. It is trained on the doorway where prisoners are brought into the jail, he said. A heavy rain fell the night the incident occurred, further hampering visibility, Ashe said.
Schiele was arrested the following morning on an unrelated charge – failure to appear in court – and both his size and the scratch marks on his hands led officers to suspect he was the one who had slipped under the fence and drilled the hole in the window, Ashe said.
All three – McMahan, Westmoreland and Ashe – agreed that additional cameras and security enhancements may be needed at the 3-year-old jail.
“Is the problem with the cameras? Do we need another camera? What can be done to fix this issue?” McMahan asked. “I haven’t spoken with the other commissioners, but I think it’s an issue that will have to be dealt with.”
Westmoreland said he’s still in the process of gathering information, particularly about the jail windows.
“I’m checking with the architect to see if warranties have been breached,” he said. “Those windows were represented as bullet-proof, shatterproof and virtually impenetrable – that you couldn’t even drill through them. It’s an issue we need to look into.”
Additional security enhancements may be in order, Ashe said, adding that he has already provided some upgrades through federal forfeiture funds.
“Additional cameras need to be added,” he said.
When asked about the strength of the windows, Ashe said that was outside his knowledge because the building was built before he became sheriff.
“The citizens of this county have entrusted me with running the detention center, and I take that seriously,” Ashe said.
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