In addition to the Grand being tasked with determining if cases presented to them by the District Attorney’s Office for indictment, the men and women periodically also make visits to county Constitutional Officers’ departments and make reports and recommendations if necessary.

Within the last few months, committees formed from members of the sitting Grand Jury did that in Toombs County, and one of those committees visited the Toombs County Detention Center where they met with Captain Amanda Brown.

The committee noted that there had been a vast improvement in the jail since the new construction was completed, noting that the number of beds in the facility had increased from 120 to 220. There had also been the addition of a barber shop, multipurpose room, conference room, and a central control room. A direct corridor from the jail into the courthouse now allows inmates heading to court to go from one building to another without additional transportation.

But there were some concerns noted by the committee. In the old section of the jail, some of the locks on the cells are hard to open, and the committee recommended replacing them with the same type locks that are in the new section. There is also a lack of storage spaces, and a need for onsite training, allowing staff from having to go offsite for training with a cost associated with it. Another notation by the committee at the jail was about the need for additional parking.

When it comes to staff issues, the members of the committee acknowledged that while employees have received raises, salaries need to be reviewed on a regular basis to ensure employees are compensated as they should be to retrain good employees from leaving for higher wages.

Finally, the committee considered the handling of inmates with mental health issues. They suggested specialty training of employees with job duty definitions pertaining to identifying and implementing necessary care for inmates who exhibit mental health issues.

In the Board of Commission, committee members noted that the new courthouse is more than adequate for the current needs of the county, and the members of the committee stated that they believe it will be sufficient for growth in the county well into the future. But they concur that more attention needs to be drawn to additional employees in the Road Department and the EMS. The committee said they don’t believe the issue of lack of workers is related to budgetary limitations, but similar to the same issues of recruitment and retention of workers that seem to plague all areas of business these days.

In the office of the Probate Court, the committee found everything to be satisfactory except for the ability of the workers behind the counter to view the entire room from their workstations. The committee suggested a camera or dome mirror for the safety of the staff.

The committee members who investigated the Clerk of Courts Office found basically everything favorable in that office. Their report noted effective and efficient processing of records, a well-trained staff with cross training, and updated computers and software. The only recommendation given by the committee was the need for more space in the future due to the number of existing and future files and records.

County offices were investigated by a committee assigned to them as part of their duties as grand jurors. Committees submitted their reports to the entire grand jury for voting and full approval. These reports will be delivered to and filed in the office of the Clerk of Superior Court.