Crowding at
jail hits record
By BOB HIGH
The sharp increase in the population of the Columbus County Jail began in the second week of May and by last Friday peaked at a record of 151 people sleeping in a facility designed to house 67 inmates.
Cooperation by the Department of Correction (DOC), a special day of Superior Court and consideration by District Court judges – particularly involving child support cases -- has eased the situation and the number of inmates is down to 129 here as of 7 a.m. today (Thursday).
“It’s been a stressful time for all the employees and the inmates. We have had a difficult time with all these people,” Sheriff’s Jail Administrator Capt. Alexander Singletary said.
“I’ve been here 13 years and this is the most we’ve ever had. There are a lot of reasons. Some of them are that inmates are not trying to make bond, and bondsmen aren’t getting people out who have a $300 bond or less,” Lt. Sharon Woodburn added.
“I called DOC last week and they agreed to take 11 off our hands. These 11 were people who were waiting for room in the prison system. Then I met with DA Rex Gore, Judge Bill Gore and Judge Jerry Jolly and Judge Gore and Rex agreed to have a special session Monday,” Sheriff Chris Batten pointed out.
House arrest
“(District Court) Judge Marion Warren lowered some of the amounts those here on child support charges will have to pay to get out, plus agreed to have some released from jail if they qualify for house arrest,” the sheriff added.
Several cases were handled in the special session Monday with some defendants accepting plea bargains calling for prison time, and others being released on probation.
Singletary pointed out the inmate number last week didn’t include 18 others housed in other locations, or 12 on house arrest. Twenty-eight of the 151 were being held on child-support charges. “We had 21 people moving in and out last Friday. It’s really been hectic here,” he added.
“What it comes down to is that we’ll be in a new facility that the number of inmates are going to exceed the capacity of 184 when it’s opened,” Singletary noted.
The new jail will have a designed capacity of 184, with another 20 permanent beds that can be added with a minimum of expense. Plus, Singletary noted the new cells will be larger than in the present jail and this provides additional space for sleeping mats on the floor to handle additional prisoners.
Singletary also noted that some police officers are making arrests on charges that usually carry only a 30-day jail penalty, yet the officer’s court date is as long as 45 to 60 days from the date of arrest. “When a person can’t make bond and has to say here, that just adds to the problem.”
Singletary said some inmates are choosing to stay in jail for 30 to 60 days instead of trying to make bond. “If they don’t have the money to handle the bond, and there family can’t come up with the cash, they’re staying here.”
Several cases were handled in the special Superior Court session Monday. The cases, all plea agreements, included:
• Tenshia Deshay Sheppard, 30, of Riegelwood – sent to prison for 61 to 83 months for the robbery of her 73-year-old landlord in a Jan. 18, 2006 incident. Sheppard will be on probation for two years for the vicious beating of Coleman James McNeil, owner of her rented mobile home, upon her release from prison, with another term of 23 to 37 months suspended.
Sheppard’s prior record shows convictions for fraud, unauthorized use of a vehicle, shoplifting, assault, being involved in a fight, plus two for larceny.
• Ronshon Tominick Pone, 29, of Little John Road, Clarkton – sent to prison 20 to 24 months, with a 177-day credit, pleading to common-law robbery in the armed robbery of Domino’s Pizza in Whiteville Dec. 18, 2005.
Pone’s prior record shows convictions for possession of cocaine with intent to sell, common-law robbery in 2003, plus two counts of possession of stolen goods, and an assault on female case.
• James Levern Walker, 41, of Cherry Town Road, Hallsboro – placed on probation for three years with a prison term of 14 to 17 months suspended in a possession of a firearm by a felon case. He was arrested just nine days before he pleaded.
Walker’s prior record shows convictions for possession of cocaine, breaking and entering and communicating threats.
• Kathy Ann Cook, 47, of Thomasville -- sentenced to a total of six to eight months in prison after pleading to two counts of the sale of methadone on Dec. 12, 2003. She has a credit of 203 days.
Cook’s prior record shows two convictions for communicating threats.
• Joseph Lee Vereen, 50, of U.S. 701 South, Whiteville – sentenced to three to four months in prison after pleading in possession of cocaine and marijuana for the purpose of sale after arrest on Feb. 15, 2006. He has a jail credit of 118 days.
Vereen’s prior record shows three DWI convictions, plus one for assault on a female. His co-defendant was Kimberly Michelle Pierce, 34, living in the same home.
• William “Billy” Alan Jacobs, 26, of Ed Floyd Drive, Whiteville – sentenced to 51 to 71 months in prison for armed robbery, plus put on probation for two years upon his release with a suspended prison term of 13 to 16 months on two counts of common-law robbery. Jacobs robbed both Sam’s Pit Stop stores in Whiteville in March, plus the New Hope Time Saver in April.
Jacobs had no prior criminal record.
• Tiesha Tennell Kay, 19, of Big Branch Road, Delco – put on probation for a year after pleading to misdemeanor larceny in a theft by employee case where two telephone cards were taken from the Riegelwood Scotchman store in Decemnber. A 30-day jail term was suspended.
Kay had no prior criminal record.
• Candy Herring Lee, 28, of Chadbourn – put on probation for three years, including six months of intensive supervision, in five forgery cases. A prison term of 12 to 16 months was suspended.
Lee had a prior record of obtaining a controlled substance by forgery in 2004, plus a DWI conviction in 2005.
• Anthony Layton Butler, 35, of Howard Street, Chadbourn – put on probation for two years after serving a term of 60 days (43 credit), with a prison term of six to eight months suspended. Butler was arrested for possession of cocaine on March 2.
Butler’s prior record shows he pleaded to possession of cocaine in a June 2005 case 20 days after he was arrested on March 2, plus he has a prior breaking and ent4ering conviction, and two in 2005 for possession of drug paraphernalia.