It is a rare occasion that a Columbia County jailer finds himself booked into the facility, but it happens.
The recent arrest of jailer Riley Peters shows that even in the most strictly run detention center, the occasional uniformed bad egg will make its way into the basket.
What may be surprising to some is that it was an inmate that tattled on Peters for bringing contraband, in the form of a cell phone, into the jail; however, that fact is not ironic at all, this is the way Sheriff Clay Whittle runs his detention facility.
Those who enter custody and are not bonded out immediately quickly learn the rules, and rule breaking comes with swift punishment.
However, good behavior is rewarded with privileges, such as being allowed an occasional cigarette in the recreation yard.
The reason the smell of synthetic marijuana does not waft through the air like it does in the Charles Webster facility is because it is not tolerated by anyone, including the inmates as they do not want to lose privileges by being accused of being complicit in knowing of contraband brought it.
Inmates can be seen mopping the floors and working in the kitchen. These are considered privileges as working outside the jail pod is far preferable than milling about and whiling away the time in a cell.
The inmates will even “out” a jailer for breaking the law.
While some in Richmond County are advocating cashless bail, Columbia County continues to set the benchmark of public safety by having a committed District Attorney’s Office, no-nonsense judges and a sheriff who gives no one a pass, even his own deputies.
The community should be proud that we have a sheriff who exercises daily his commitment to keeping the citizenry safe.
