Jail report: Sawyer County sees 56 average daily inmates; PSA screening rollout expected in months

A jail report presented to the Sawyer County Criminal Justice Coordinating Council on April 8 said the county’s average daily inmate population in March was 56, including 11 women and 45 men, with an asserted unemployment rate at the time of booking of 71%.

The council heard that, at the time the jail report was generated, 58 people were in custody, probation incarceration averaged 30, pre-sentence incarceration averaged 15 and 11 were sentenced. The presenter stated there were currently no inmates on electronic monitoring.

Justice Point representative Becky told the council the site is close to implementing PSA risk-assessment screenings in the jail so assessments can occur immediately after arrest rather than waiting for bond hearings. “We’re getting close. I anticipate maybe like three to four months before we’re able to move forward with that,” Becky said.

Council members discussed service and program capacity in the jail. Staff reported roughly 13 ongoing jail programs, outreach opportunities such as highway pickup days for supervised community service, and a widely attended bingo program hosted at the library. A professional visitors appreciation lunch is planned for June 11 at Shoes Pond, staff said.

The council raised no formal objections during the report. No formal action was recorded on the PSA rollout during the meeting; staff said they would return with implementation updates and timelines as work progresses.

The council’s next regular meeting is scheduled for May 13 at noon.