Rutherford County Jail…… Blame Game Starts.

Posted on April 28, 2023 by Deborah Keller

April 28, 2023

Yesterday I posted an article about the female side of the jail closing. Then late last night I read an article with statements made by the County Manager. I thought to myself…Really, really???

They are upset that the very young, newly elected Sheriff may not have had the training to run the jail. Well DUH! No one that is elected to a position that has not held that position before knows everything involved in the office.

Ellenburg has networked with other Sheriff’s in the area to learn what is expected and attended training to help him figure out what needs to be done. We have seen the increase in drug arrests. His social media account shows that. He appears to be trying to get up to speed on the jail disaster he inherited.

Why in the world did they not help him transition into this position? They have managers, maintenance people, etc. that could have helped with ordinances, maintenance, etc. They knew the jail has multiple problems before he was even elected.

Now comes the real kicker. The Commissioners (excluding Benfield) toured the jail themselves before I did on March 3^rd (over 55 days ago). They actually walked through that decrepit cesspool on the female side. They smelled it, they saw the mold, the women crowded on the floor. They felt the heat and saw the walls dripping with moisture, the many layers of paint peeling off the bars, and the rust everywhere.

Why in the world did they not tell the Sheriff to get those women out of there that day? These good Christian elected officials saw the squalor and conditions that day themselves. I told the Sheriff the day I toured that the women needed to be moved ASAP. Our shelter animals live in much better conditions than these women.

Yet the Commissioners decided that the subject of moving them needed to be “studied”? It all comes down to money. It would cost money to move them. MONEY…doesn’t it always seem to come down to money?

What about humanity, what about those women’s constitutional rights? I sat in my car and cried for fifteen minutes after my tour. I cried that any human being would be housed in such situations in my own county. I cried that no one seemed to care enough to do something. These were mothers, daughters, and sisters. I cried that my elected officials had allowed this to happen.

The Commissioners had fifty-five (55) days that they could have moved these women yet they did not do so until forced to by state inspectors. I am appalled by their apathy and inaction. These are not the men I thought they were.

Now they want to “blame” the Sheriff who has been in office for less than four months? This did not happen in four months time. Former Sheriff Francis had let this go on for years. Why did County Maintenance not notify the county about the conditions when they went in there to work on things? Why did past inspectors not do anything? (that’s for another article)

Why did NO ONE seem to care? Was it was because they were women? I thought we were past that kind of thinking. Obviously not it seems.

At this point they are out of there but there is still the fact that their constitutional rights were violated during the time they were there. That will be a federal matter that must be dealt with. The fact that officials allowed this to go on for so long hurts my heart deeply and makes me want to examine all the reasons why.

I have been heartbroken over this since March 3^rd. I will never forget the inmate standing in the shadow of her cell saying, “Please help us.” I think “some” of our good Christian leaders have forgotten the teachings that we are all ALL God’s children.

This situation is far from over. Stop blaming and start helping. It will take everyone to help fix this mess. The problems have been identified so now address them as a unified government body. We as a community deserve no less.

Rutherford County Jail…… Female Side Closed by Inspectors.

Posted on April 27, 2023 by Deborah Keller

April 27, 2023

It appears that inspectors have finally had enough of the conditions at the jail and closed the female side for multiple violations. All female prisoners should be removed and placed in other jails in the surrounding counties by Friday.

As I reported last month the conditions in the women’s side of the jail was inhumane and the rest of the facility was not a lot better. The age of the jail is such that parts are difficult to find for repairs for some items or the people making them are now out of business.

Sheriff Aaron Ellenburg inherited this sinking ship several months ago when he was sworn into office after being elected. It is almost impossible to raise a ship once it’s 98% under water but he is trying. Former Sheriff Chris Francis and the Commissioners apparently had let the jail sink to an unmanageable state before he ever took office.

This closure will cost the county quite a bit of money as we, (Rutherford County taxpayers) have to pay other facilities to house our female prisoners. This however is cheaper than what lawsuits would cost for violations of inmates constitutional rights or the death of an inmate from conditions at the jail. I myself became very ill after just touring the facility.

One of the issues at hand is also the fact that DA Ted Bell’s office has a tremendous backlog of cases. The right to a speedy trial does not seem to be applicable here. A lot of these cases are people jailed awaiting acceptance of a plea deal so that no actual trials have to take place. This makes the DA’s office look more successful in “winning” cases but backs up available jail space. According to public records one particular prisoner has been in the jail over 1800 days awaiting trial which looks like it has cost the county around $90k.

This is inexcusable. Sheriff Ellenburg says he wants to “do the right thing” in his position but doing the right thing costs money and the county does not seem to want to put money into the jail. The Sheriff was even seen mowing the grass at the jail himself this past week.

Sheriff Ellenburg has said publicly that he will not accept the issues of drugs being smuggled into the jail. Trustees leaving the facility to go outside is definitely a safety risk and viable avenue for drugs to be brought in, so not allowing them outside to cut grass makes sense. Also they use trustees to clean the offices at the jail, which allows them accessibility to anything (drugs or contraband) that might be left in an area by someone from outside.

The County needs to stop the practice of using prisoners for free labor. Having the freedom to go outside and into the offices after hours to clean the building is a severe safety risk. The phrase “we’ve always done it this way” is not going to fly anymore. We have employees and contractors that do this work for the county’s other departments so why not the jail?

Yes, the closure of the jail will cost the county money but it is the right thing to do until the county can get it fixed and up to code. If not then they need to explore the option of building a new one. I reached out to Sheriff Ellenburg for a statement about the closure and he said “We are looking at a new beginning for the Rutherford County Detention Center.” This definitely seems like a positive step in getting the jail fixed.

This is the United States of America and Rutherford County should not allow third world conditions for prisoners to exist here. This is an issue apparently caused by former Sheriff Chris Francis, the Commissioners, and current DA Ted Bell. Francis is gone but DA Bell can get his office in gear and get some of these people out of there. The Commissioners can also do what needs to be done to fix it or if not fixable build a new one.

The Commissioners need to stand beside Sheriff Ellenburg and “do the right thing” in fixing this problem instead of being forced to by inspectors. It affects all of us. We as a community are better than this. It is a time for new beginning. This verse in KJV bible seems to say it best. Matthew 25:40 – “And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”

Horrific Conditions In Rutherford County Jail

Posted on March 12, 2023 by Deborah Keller

I have repeatedly written about my concerns in the jail over the years. Since Sheriff Ellenburg ran on a promise of transparency I requested to be allowed to actually tour the dentition facility so I could give a first hand account of the conditions there.

He granted my request and I was allowed to tour the facility with another gentleman last week.

I knew what I had heard from interviewing previous inmates and their families but I was still not prepared for the conditions I saw, especially in the women’s section of the facility. I have sent a list of additional questions to the sheriff for clarification as I plan to do several informational articles about the jail.

This article is mostly about the conditions in the women’s area. To say it horrified me is an understatement. It literally was all I could do to not cry as I toured it with the matron assigned to me. When she opened the door to the area the heat and humidity took my breath. It felt like walking into a suffocatingly oppressive steam room.

She explained to me that the ventilation ducts did not work and they had fans in the hallways trying to move air some. The women were crowded in the cells with many lying on their sleeping mats on the floor as there are not enough beds.

Mold was everywhere. Many of the ceiling tiles were covered with it. The bars were rusting with multiple layers of paint peeling off of them. One of the inmates who had been there a while told me they had to paint the bars themselves in the past when officials knew someone was coming to tour.

She said the toilet was not flushing in her area and the other toilet in the main area was leaking on the bottom. They had put plastic bags around it to try to keep it off the mats they slept on.

The walls in the hallways were dripping wet when I touched them. The high upper windows allowed very little light into the area. I was told it was worse when it rained.

I asked if the inmates got to go outside and was told only when they had a court date. Some of these woman had been in there quite a long time awaiting trial. If someone is too poor to make bail they have to stay until their court date. This places a huge burden on the financially disadvantaged persons in our county.

We went through a door to another area and the door had sanitary napkins stuck to it. I asked why I was told that the door slammed shut so hard and stuck so they were placed there to pad it. Doorways had equipment blocking them. The matron actually had to move stuff out into another hallway to open a door for me to go through.

They did tell me they had hot water for showers now but that had not always been the case in the past. As I was leaving my heart broke when an older female inmate begged me to please do something to help them. I promised her I would try my best to let people know what the conditions were there.

I have watched many movies showing prisons and jails in third world countries. I never in a million years would have believed that our detention center/jail was worse when it came to housing women, but it in fact is.

As I stepped out into the men’s section the air became much cooler and less humid but I still felt like I needed a puff on my inhaler to keep breathing properly. I thought to myself that, inmates not withstanding, how in the world was this not a danger to the employees working in these areas?

It is a fact that heat breeds aggression, and mold affects breathing, which in turn affects thought processes. This area is a disaster waiting to happen. I wondered how many jail employees have respiratory problems.

This part of the jail was built in the 1970’s (fifty years ago) and was supposed to hold approx. 29 inmates, as that was the available number of beds. It averages 35 to 40 female inmates most of the time, which is why so many are now sleeping on mats on the floor.

I asked Sheriff Ellenburg if anything could be done to alleviate these conditions. He said they planed to fix the ventilation system and clean the rust and bars but they had to figure out where to house the women safely while this was happening.

This is a situation that has occurred through years of systemic neglect, not only by previous sheriffs, but by the County Commissioners. The Commissioners/County are responsible for funding, maintenance and upkeep of the Detention Center.

There are many other things that I will cover in further articles, but this situation is critical.

I do understand that all the Commissioners except Mr. Benfield have recently toured the facility at Sheriff Ellenburg’s request. What I don’t understand is why DA Ted Bell, his assistants, and the magistrates have not toured this area. They are the ones sending people here for extended periods of time. They should at least know what the conditions of living are that they are sentencing people to.

We as a community are better than this. It is inhumane of us to allow this to go on. Regardless of the crimes these women are charged with some have not been found guilty as of yet, but still must live in these horrific conditions. Some for extended times waiting for the district attorney to call their cases.

Our Commissioners need to do better. We have a new Sheriff that is trying to keep his campaign promises and make the Sheriff’s Office and Detention Center a better/safer place for everyone who comes through there as well as his employees. He can’t do it alone.

Call or contact your Commissioners about this issue. They have been there and know about it first hand. They need to address this. It is just not about the money. This is a human rights issue. No one in the United States should have to be imprisoned in these circumstances.

As I was begged to do while there…PLEASE HELP!

Contact your Commissioners to address this problem NOW via email by clicking here (their email addresses are under their pictures on the page) or call and leave a message at 828-287-6060.

These women are neighbors, family, mothers, and daughters. As the Golden Rule says “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

Again…PLEASE HELP.

There Can Be Only One ….. RC Sheriff’s Race 2022

Posted on November 2, 2022 by Deborah Keller

**OPINION**

11/02/22

Our Sheriff’s race has been quite a roller coaster ride this year. First we had candidate Tony Roberson (former Polk County deputy) throwing his hat in the ring two years ago as a Republican candidate, we also knew that Jason Wease (business owner) was going to run as a Democrat as he has declared he would run each time back in 2013.

The current Sheriff Chris Francis (age 48) who has been in office for twelve years was not ready to retire so he would be running again. Then Steve Theodoropoulis (former Florida HP and Fed Air Marshall) who ran in 2018 announced he would also be running as a Republican candidate.

The man to beat at that time was the incumbent Sheriff Chris Francis. Sheriff Francis had twelve years worth of record to try to defend and in the past few years a lot of questionable things have gone on in his department. This being said between deaths at the jail, officer actions and lawsuits Sheriff Francis decided to pull out of the race.

This action put quite a monkey wrench into the strategy and campaigns of the other two candidates who had been gearing up to run against Francis. Now they had to focus their campaign on who would be the better candidate for the job. As they were trying to change direction there was another development in the race.

NC DMV Officer Aaron Ellenburg put his name in the hat to run in the Republican primary. The other two candidates tried to tie Ellenburg with Francis even though he did not actually work for the Sheriff’s department.

This started the negative campaigning right out of the gate. So many negative things were said and posted on social media about each of the Republican candidates it was hard to keep tract of them. Jason Wease did as he has done in the past and totally stayed away from the negativity surrounding the other candidates.

The Federal government then tossed us a curve ball and moved the primary from February to May trying to make sure all state districts were represented as fair as possible.

Then, Lo and Behold, Republican candidate Tony Roberson decided that the Republican Party was not aligning with his personal beliefs and was being run by Word of Faith Fellowship. He pulled out of the Republican primary race and decided to run as an unaffiliated candidate. This required him to get enough signatures to be put on the final ballot, which he did. He is in fact still a registered Republican but is running independent of their party.

So….whew! (dizzy yet?) The primary was finally held in May with Aaron Ellenburg being chosen as the Republican Party’s candidate for Sheriff. This set up a ballot with Ellenburg (R), Wease (D), and Roberson (U).

As the race went on the negativity just got uglier. One huge point of contention was the fact that Roberson’s pick for Chief Deputy, should he win, was former disgraced Sheriff’s Deputy Jamie Dunn. As you may recall he was fired, charged, and convicted for excessive violence against a restrained person in the jail. (see video here)

It was implied on social media that Ellenburg had no real law enforcement experience and was a “pick” of current Sherriff Francis so nothing would really change. Wease who stayed away from all the negativity just continued to run his campaign for change in his own style.

Now to mention another twist in this race. Roberson had a woman arrested and charged with posting malicious statements on social media. She was pursued for eight months at great personal expense to only have the charges dropped on the day of her hearing.

Then several months later Roberson himself was sued for posting inaccurate things with malicious intent on social media about someone else. (head spinning now?) He stopped posting things after that but his Chief Deputy pick Dunn continued to post things going so far as to dig up old text messages between people from years ago and posting them.

Early voting started on Oct 20^th. It will end on Nov. 5^th with the final election being held on Tuesday Nov. 8^th. You can vote for the candidate of your choice regardless of party (if there is a choice in a race) or not vote for any of them if you choose. It is important to go vote even if you leave some races blank. It sends a message of dissatisfaction to that candidate for sure.

The point however is that the Sheriff’s race is a local election. Whoever wins still will have the taste of that negativity in their mouth after the campaign. Those feelings do not just magically go away the day after the vote comes in. Neighbors, friends, and families remember the hurtful things said and done by each other. These wounds will fester for a long time.

We all are neighbors and members of this community. No matter who wins we all must learn to get along and let the hurts of this election be behind us. I hope that the damage can be repaired and that all can support the winner. This county has serious issues in the Sheriff’s office and especially the jail. Issues that will take everyone’s input and help to try to correct. Hopefully all will support the winner of this race and allow them time to try to correct the problems they will face when they take office.

This is not an episode of Highlander. No one needs to lose their head. No matter how many run for an office there can be only ONE.

County Police Force …….. Is Now The Time?

Posted on October 19, 2022 by Deborah Keller

**Opinion**

10-19-22

Early voting starts October 20^th. We have multiple uncontested candidates on the ballot but the Sheriff’s race is not one of those. There are three candidates running for this office. Aaron Ellenburg (R), Jason Weast (D), and Tony Roberson (U).

This has been a contentious race and doesn’t look to get any kinder in the next few weeks before the election. Many things have been said or implied about the candidates on social media. If you have any question ask the candidates directly. They will answer you. Your vote is yours to do with as you wish.

One concern that has been brought up in the past and is a concern now is the politicization of the Sheriff’s Office. Being a law enforcement officer is a very difficult and demanding profession and having to deal with the possibility of losing your job over your political leanings every four years is an unnecessary added stress to these trained officers.

Not to even mention how much we require our Sheriff to try to manage and handle. Our jail has been understaffed and incorrectly managed for years now. It has failed multiple inspections and many injuries, incidents, and even deaths have occurred there. It needs full time attention and an involved Sheriff in its operation. Just throwing more money at it will not solve the problems there. Being heavily involved in the safety of the courthouse is also demanding.

In years past we have seen the animal shelter and the 911 center moved from under the Sheriff’s umbrella. Would it be too far fetched to think that having a county police force would be more beneficial to the people of this county? No politics, no jail administration, no courthouse duties.

Other counties in the state have done this with very good results. It takes the politics out of policing and holds officers and staff accountable to county management. Officers will also have clear-cut direct representation and recourse with personnel issues. This would help assure the public that officers and administration would be held accountable for their actions and that the officers themselves would have proper steps to accomplish their training standards.

Doing this would allow the new Sheriff, whomever he is, to concentrate on the jail and the courthouse. The problems of the jail are more than enough for one man and his staff to get straightened out.

This would be an initial expensive outlay for the county but would pay for itself in time. The counties that have done this have been very happy with the results. It gives the Sheriff time to concentrate on the jail and courthouse, which are two very important things that desperately need his full attention.

It takes a legislative act to proceed with such an action but Rutherford County was grated that several years ago. All the commissioners really have to do is vote for it. It would not be an easy transition but one that would ultimately benefit not only the officers but the county as well. Guaranteeing to keep highly trained officers in their jobs with no fear of being removed every four years due to the political climate.

It is a way to build back trust in our community policing. The majority of these officers work very hard and deserve to be appreciated by the people they serve. They are here to protect and serve.

The time to act on this is now for the commissioners. With a new Sheriff coming in after twelve years if they are planning to transition now is the time to do it. If you feel that this is needed in this county please contact your commissioners and let them know. Call 828-287-6060 or email hazel.haynes@rutherfordcountync.gov with your concerns and she will get your message to them.

Let’s bring back “We the people” to our communities.

Another Incident At The Jail?

Posted on October 7, 2022 by Deborah Keller

October 9, 2022

Last night I received a message that an incident had occurred at the jail. The details were a bit fuzzy stating that a shank was used in an assault but later cleared up by a second source.

I asked for a statement from Sheriff Francis last night confirming these events and he has yet to reply.

The allegations are that a violent offender named Stephen Mooney, who is currently being held on a murder charge, (see here) attacked another inmate by placing a bag over his head in an attempt to kill him. It appeared to be a hostage situation and the jail called for assistance from law enforcement personnel.

Individuals from Rutherfordton Police Department and Spindale Police Department arrived at the jail to assist but were not allowed access until the Sheriff could let them in.

It had been said that a request to move Mooney had been made due to his violent nature but was denied by the county for economic reasons. (having to pay to send him somewhere else)

EMS were called to the jail and the injured inmate was transported for medical attention. Last report said the inmate was in ICU on a ventilator and Mooney was being charged with attempted murder.

Updates will be published as we receive them concerning this.

Protecting Our Officers Or Protecting The System?

Posted on August 20, 2022 by Deborah Keller

8-20-22

The situation at the Rutherford County Jail does not seem to getting any better. What we do know is so small compared to what we don’t and even that is unacceptable.

Now not only are the staff and inmates in danger from low staffing levels and poor oversight, but reportedly SBI agent Cameron Spear during this recent investigation (after our last article) has made all staff there sign a nondisclosure agreement concerning the issues going on in the jail.

Now after contacting a former SBI agent, I was told that only in rare circumstances will they have officers sign a nondisclosure agreement during an investigation. Rare circumstances……

Not only are our jail officers in danger during their work shifts, but now they cannot bring attention to any of it. They are being made to bear their burdens in silence. Who is standing up for them?

Not the SBI, they made them sign the non-disclosure agreement.
Not the Sheriff, he has let them continue with substandard conditions and inadequate staffing for years.
Not District Attorney Ted Bell who routinely turned a blind eye to every issue at the jail.
Not the Rutherford County Commissioners who allocated money for needed repairs and staff and have not followed up to see that it was done. Jail inspection reports are copied to them when issued.
Who do we have to go to in order to get these issues addressed before an officer, inmate, or courthouse official gets seriously injured or even killed?

Our officers and even our inmates deserve better. When jail officials cannot even get deputies to come sweep the jail for weapons, what kind of message is that sending to the officers that work there?

If jail officials are offered money to turn the other way when contraband and drugs are coming into the jail, can we not understand what kinds of pressures they are working under? When inmates are allowed to do “rounds” for officers because they are too short staffed to do them themselves. (btw why would this even be allowed?) Low salary, low staffing, low morale, no support from the Sheriff who oversees them, how do we expect them to feel? Where is he in all this? Silence is not the way to handle this.

The conditions for the inmates are terrible as the inspections have shown and the improvements have not been made. Is the only reason our jail is still open because we house federal inmates there? Is it only open because the Sheriff and County can’t afford to not only lose revenue but have to pay for our inmates to be housed somewhere else? If so, how is that right? How much money is a life worth in Rutherford County?

We will have a new Sheriff after the November election, but in the meantime how many more will die before then. Our record here is not good, folks. We can’t wait for this to become someone else’s problem. It is our problem now!

It seems that people will have to contact Attorney General Josh Stein or the Federal Attorney for WNC Dena J. King to see if something can be done. The “good ole boy” network is strong and includes some members of the SBI here it seems. Yes, it has been going on for years and years, but it is time to stop.

If you know of something amiss at the jail or have concerns for an officer or inmate, please let me know at debkellercares@gmail.com. (All communication is confidential.)

The only way to fix this mess is to be open and transparent. We must shine a light on the problems in order to see how to properly fix them. Together we CAN do this.

I for one do not want to see any more deaths laid at the Sheriff’s door and certainly do not want to see any more cover-ups. My prayers are with them – all that work and are housed there.