Mobley appointed as new jailer

A man with 32 years of law enforcement experience has been named Whitley County’s new jailer.
At noon Wednesday, Whitley County Judge-Executive Mike Patrick appointed Ken Mobley as the new jailer. Mobley will completed the remainder of the unexpired term of Jerry Taylor, who resigned Friday.
Mobley, 53, served 32 years as a law enforcement officer for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife. He reached the rank of captain prior to his retirement nearly two years ago.
“Mr. Mobley’s management experience and good working relationships with fellow peace officers will aid him well in his new position,” Patrick said in a press release. “He does not intend to run for the Office of Jailer, therefore his appointment will have no undo influence or affect on the local election process.”
Corrections Commissioner John D. Rees, who ordered the jail closed on July 23, said he expects the facility to re-open later this month.
“We are working with Judge Patrick to get the facility open as soon as possible,” Rees said late Tuesday afternoon. “We are going to take it slow, but we are going to get it open as soon as possible.”
Patrick said Monday that he hopes to get the jail open again during the third week of October, which Rees said was “very realistic.”
Patrick said he met with four officials from the Department of Corrections Monday afternoon including Kelli White, director of local facilities, and Chuck Hughes, a local jail inspector.
“We went up to the jail and took a walk through. We then sat down, and discussed what needed to happen to get the jail re-opened,” Patrick said.
Among the first things the county must get done are having the sprinkler system, smoke alarms, and smoke evacuation systems tested again to make sure they are still operational, and then getting those results turned over to the state.
County officials have also been working with a contractor to ensure that all locks are again operational and doors functional. After the jail was ordered closed, county officials had some door locks disabled and keys changed to other locks to secure the facility.
Patrick said he doesn’t see any major hurdles in terms of getting the jail back open, but cautioned that if tests for the sprinkler system for instance showed up problems, then it could cause a significant delay.
Rees said he anticipates that his department will start a training program for new jail employees next week in Whitley County.
Based on the new jailer’s recommendations, Patrick added that he would be willing to consider requests to change the amount of staff employed at the jail and to change the pay rate for employees.
The county is accepting applications to work at the jail, and he feels some of the laid off employees will be considered for employment by the new jailer.
The Department of Corrections closed the Whitley County Jail on July 23 citing “unwillingness to change the status quo” by Jailer Jerry Taylor and his staff as part of the reason for filing suit in Frankfort to close the Whitley County Jail.
“Taylor’s malfeasance in office and disregard of Department of Corrections directives, applicable law and regulations poses an imminent threat to the safety of inmates, staff and the public at large, so that immediate, irreparable injury will be sustained if the Whitley County Detention Center is permitted to remain open,” correction’s officials wrote in the lawsuit.
Patrick estimated that the closure of the jail would cost Whitley County an additional $500,000 to $600,000 annually, or nearly $50,000 extra per month.
“It has been hard on the court system. It has been a difficult time, and an expensive time. This will enable us to get back to a more normal operation within the county at a more economical cost,” Patrick noted.
Patrick said that he no longer plans to continue negotiations with Knox County to turn the facility into a regional jail, and feels that the Department of Corrections will allow Whitley County officials to re-open the facility in the near future.
“I don’t think we need to continue on with that course of action at this point and time,” Patrick noted. “Right now with the resignation, I don’t think it is necessary. That was a solution to get it re-opened.”