Gilmer County jail has been closed to visitors for a couple of weeks to protect inmates from COVID-19 (Coronavirus).
“We cut visitation out two weeks ago,” said Gilmer County Sheriff Stacy Nicholson.
It includes banning family visitors, clergy for religious services and counseling groups.
Restricting these visitors goes against everything Nicholson believes as a sheriff. Visitors and groups go a long way to maintaining the mental health of prisoners.
“It’s just too risky at this point,” he said.
Nicholson has also been working to control the population.
“With the assistance of the courts and probation, we have gotten some low level offenders out of the jail,” Nicholson said.
No violent or serious felony offenders were released.
“I made sure of that,” Nicholson said.
On the other hand, there are still inmates entering the jail.
“We’re still putting people in jail,” Nicholson said.
Prisoners have been screened coming into the jail since Jan. 28 by the company Gilmer County contracts with for medical services, Southern Health Partners.
The company began screening for Coronavirus a month before Nicholson was aware it was being done.
A close check is being kept on jail employees as well. It has made things tougher, but Nicholson said they do not want a case in the jail population.
As an example, he said two employees were sent home to quarantine because of allergies out of an overabundance of caution.
“It’s a fine line,” he said.