Taking over the Jail

Nugent, county and CCA officials are slated to meet on April 1 to allow the CCA to open its financial records and for all parties to discuss the various issues related to a possible transition.

Does it mean the SO is keeping all the same guards on staff? Hope not good luck ..

No what it means is that he will put those who he wants, his arsekissers in positons where they can try to do something they know nothing about and that would be running a jail.

Say no to this tyrant and let CCA keep the jail. Nugent admits that he knows nothing of running a jail but would figure it out with the help of Bay Countys Sheriff, who did the same thing.

These boys don't happen to be on the same state committee do they? Soemthing stinks with this attempt at obtaining more power and it's Nugent.

Does it mean the SO is keeping all the same guards on staff? Hope not good luck ..

So what happened with the vote?? Is the Sheriff taking over?

Its up in the air. S.O needs to step it up and clean house!!

Nugent withdrew his offer. CCA will run the jail. :lol:

Looks like the S.O might be taking over the jail now!!

Flip-flop on jail flummoxes Hernando County officials
By Barbara Behrendt, Times Staff Writer
BROOKSVILLE — This month, a top official with the Corrections Corporation of America looked Hernando County and sheriff's leaders in the eyes and told them, "We're losing money.''

Despite that, Patrick Swindle said, CCA valued its 22-year relationship with Hernando County so much that the national company wanted to continue to run the Hernando County Jail because it knew things would turn around.

"We take the long view,'' said Swindle, CCA's vice president and treasurer.

On Wednesday, the company handed County Commission Chairman John Druzbick a letter saying CCA was ending the contract and will leave in 120 days, a move that shocked commissioners and staff.

Why the about-face?

Spokesman Steve Owen said Thursday that Swindle's words about wanting to work with Hernando were true then and still are. The only caveat is that CCA is willing to absorb these short-term losses if the relationship with Hernando is to going to be long-term.

But with county staff pushing plans to seek bids from other competitors this fall, and then the sheriff saying he wants to run the jail only to reverse course until repairs are done to the facility, Hernando's message to CCA is that the partnership is waning, Owen said.

CCA also said the county's continued interest in finding another operator was hampering the company's ability to get federal inmates who are needed to make their operation profitable again.

And countering strong reaction from county commissioners and Sheriff Richard Nugent, Owen said CCA has acted in good faith in its relationship with the county.

Commissioner Dave Russell, for one, wasn't buying CCA's explanations on Thursday. He believes it is time for the county to move on.

"I don't see CCA as an option at this point,'' he said.

Russell noted that CCA representatives were in the audience at Tuesday's commission meeting and didn't see fit to mention the company's plans to end the contract.

"They were all smiles and then, the next day, we get a letter. I question the veracity of their claims that they want a long-term relationship,'' he said.

As for the assertion that the county was responsible for CCA not being able to get federal prisoners, Russell called it "a red herring.''

"I just don't buy that,'' he said. "I don't think they're being completely honest in inferring that it's partially our fault that they were unable to obtain more inmates. I don't appreciate that,'' he said.

The biggest development since the meeting with Swindle was when Nugent showed photographs to the commissioners of maintenance and structural problems at the jail. He cited these problems as the major reason why he was withdrawing his proposal to take over the jail.

On Wednesday, after the bombshell letter giving 120 days' notice, Nugent was back at the table with County Administrator David Hamilton.

Nugent's view is that CCA may be pulling back because of the jail's condition, which CCA will be at least partially responsible for paying to fix.

The company, he said, may also be concerned about an ongoing audit of the jail contract. He called CCA's notice a way to force the county to negotiate a more lucrative contract "with a gun to their head.''

Russell said he was concerned that opening up negotiations again with CCA, which the company has said it would be willing to do, could be costly to Hernando.

"They need more money in their revenue stream, but that is not going to happen on the backs of the Hernando County taxpayer,'' Russell said.

Commissioner Druzbick also said he was also concerned about the way that CCA handled the 120-day notice without having some conversation with the county administrator before issuing the letter.

"My confidence level is not there,'' he said.

Both Russell and Druzbick said they were glad they had options. Nugent has made it clear that the jail must be put in good order before he would take it over, but commissioners and county staff are supportive of getting that done.

Commissioner Jim Adkins also was upset about the way the letter of notice was handled and said he was glad to see the sheriff as a viable option again. His focus, though, is on getting a complete picture of just what needs to be done to repair the jail so a cost-effective way to complete that can be found.

Part of that process will be to determine CCA's level of responsibility to make those repairs, and Hamilton has said that the county will "absolutely'' make CCA pay its fair share according to the requirements of their contract.

CCA spokesman Owen said the company has been working with the county for years on making jail repairs.

Commissioner Jeff Stabins said he believes that turning the jail over to the sheriff should be the last resort because the commission has the right to force the sheriff to take over the facility "at whatever time we choose and for whatever budget we choose.''

Stabins suggested that Nugent should bid for the jail contract along with private companies, and he hoped CCA would submit a bid as well.

On Thursday, Stabins continued to point the finger at the county administrator.

"I still blame David (Hamilton),'' he said. "He created a crisis that is totally unnecessary at this time.''

He said he believes that Hamilton should not have been talking about seeking other interests to run the jail because the county already had a contract that was valid until 2012.

Stabins said he believes whatever other options are considered are going to be more expensive than CCA.

"I foresee dire consequences for the taxpayers of this county,'' he said.

Barbara Behrendt can be reached at behrendt@sptimes.com or (352) 848-1434.

Time to clean house , HCSO will be hiring new Detention deputies soon!!!

Interestingly enough, Nugent KNEW why he didn't want to take over the jail and now he's going to do this and throw it in someone else lap........

http://www2.hernandotoday.com/content/2010/apr/30/sheriff-nugent-run-congress/news/


By MICHAEL D. BATES | Hernando Today

Published: April 30, 2010

Updated: 04:55 pm

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Richard Nugent


Getting poll results. Please wait... BROOKSVILLE - U.S. Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite will not seek re-election and is supporting Hernando County Sheriff Richard B. Nugent in his bid for election to the 5th Congressional District seat.

In a statement, Brown-Waite cited persistent health problems.

The four-term congresswoman said she encouraged Nugent to run "because I know him to be a strong conservative who will continue my fight for veterans and seniors."

Nugent, a Republican, agreed to do so and filed today with the state supervisor of elections office.

"There is no one in this country who has been more committed to serving our seniors and veterans than Ginny Brown-Waite," Nugent said. "I am proud to continue her fight on their behalf and thank Ginny for her service and sacrifice."

Nugent, 58, said Brown-Waite called him late March 31 and asked if he would be willing to run for her seat because of health issues and a problem with her pancreas.

He didn't give her an immediate answer until this past Saturday.

"It took me by surprise," Nugent said. "It was not something I was anticipating. When she called me you could have knocked me over with a feather.

"It took me a long time, talking with my wife, talking about the pros and cons of it - because, obviously, this is a change for us. I'm a home kind of guy, I like being at home."
.....

He won't get enough votes to make it that far, he'll be home with his wife.

Time to clean house , HCSO will be hiring new Detention deputies soon!!!

Trust me you guys DO NOT want to get into running your own jail.. I am a Pasco Law Enforcement Deputy and the jail deputies are a big head ache.

Time to clean house , HCSO will be hiring new Detention deputies soon!!!

Trust me you guys DO NOT want to get into running your own jail.. I am a Pasco Law Enforcement Deputy and the jail deputies are a big head ache.

Just look at the Pasco page and you won't find any Detention Deputies whining and crying about uniforms or their bosses. They are very happy to be where they are and they are lucky to have great commanders. Adding Detention Deputies to the HCSO will be great for the office and the FOP if they play their cards right. Membership could jump. I'd prefer PBA but I know Hernando is FOP.

NOW WE KNOW YOU ARE LAUGHING F.O.P. YOU MEAN THE FLOP

o great..now we are fighting again over the flop again lol..does it ever stop?cant we name it the flop and the ????? something..like a band lol.

CCA needs to go they screwed everything up in the jail where should I start.

Bye Bye CCA , Welcome HCSO. When are they going to start hiring Detention deputies ?

Will HCSO retain CCA employees and give them jobs? or is he going to recruit new people to run it the right way?

BYE BYE CCA

They posted the detention position on the website. Good luck with everything guys. Hopyfully this will be a great move.

Any idea what the pay is? The website doesn't mention anything.

I hear it's the same as patrol.

Good luck with the pay its less than Pasco SO

what is the starting pay for patrol? im a 10yr dep and i know a 14 year dep who would consider hernando. would be great on the travel. also do you guys have a tattoo policy?

34,000 yr and yes no visible tattoos and smoking policy strictly enforced.

THE PAY IS $39,502 FOR STARTING DEPUTY

For those Corrections Corporation of America (CCA) employees who qualify for the new deputy position and are already state-certified corrections officers, their salaries will be bumped up more than $7,000, from their current $32,169 to $39,401.

But he said his standards are higher and he demands more from his deputies. He said many of the CCA employees interviewed failed to meet those standards.

Did they all failed the CVSA?

I know they have to interview with the Major after CVSA