Jail prepared to deal with swine flu

The Douglas County Jail is prepared to deal with any cases of swine flu that inmates or deputies may bring into the facility.

"We have not had any cases or suspected cases," said Capt. John Milby, jail supervisor.

"We've been working with Douglas County Emergency Management to put a contingency plan in place and we are prepared for it," he said.

Milby said strategies were designed for inmates and personnel.

"For our employees, we really encourage them to stay home when they're sick, and to always practice really good hygiene," he said.

Employees are advised to get plenty of sleep and keep up their immune systems.

Those recommendations apply to inmates as well, but they can't be sent home to recover.

"If we get an inmate with a suspected case, and it's a new arrival, they are not admitted to the jail, but transported in custody for medical treatment to a local emergency room," Milby said.

The inmate must receive medical clearance before being admitted to the jail.

"If they are infected, where they are treated depends on the severity of charges against them," Milby said.

Milby said an inmate was suspected of having swine flu symptoms last spring, giving the jail a "dry run" handling the incident.

"It was someone already in custody whom we quarantined and tested right away. It was not swine flu. We kind of hope it will pass us by," he said.

Staff are issued special face masks for any medical issues and inmates get immediate medical attention from the jail's nurses.

"If it's a secondary issue, like dehydration, we put them on medication and monitor them closely. If there are acute issues, they may be admitted to a hospital," he said.

Accommodating prisoners who are sick will be easier once the jail expansion is completed by adding more medical isolation cells, Milby said. Bids are to be opened this week for the 30-000-square-foot project.

The jail recently passed its annual accreditation by the National Commission on Correctional Health Care.