The Associated Press
O’NEILL, Neb. (AP) -- Holt County officials are promising to beef-up jail security following two recent jailbreaks.
At a meeting of county supervisors Tuesday, County Attorney Tom Herzog said all courthouse doors should be locked -- unless a jury is on duty -- and all prisoners should be in leg irons when not in their cells. He also recommended that attorney visits with prisoners can be conducted by a telephone hookup and that a gate be installed to prevent prisoners from escaping down into the courthouse from the jail.
“These people are prisoners, and we’ve got to stop treating them like friends,” Herzog said.
On Friday, Juan Mejia, 18, who had been jailed on allegations of burglary, took advantage of an exercise break to make an escape.
Mejia overpowered jail supervisor Patsy Kremer whose calls for help were transmitted over an intercom to a dispatcher who alerted city police.
Last month Hiroyuki Komica, 27, ran out a fire escape door during a meeting with his court-appointed attorney’s administrative assistant. He was quickly caught by police.
Voting in their capacity as the board of corrections, supervisors agreed Tuesday to enact the changes recommended by the county attorney.
“We’ve neglected this,” said supervisor Bill Tielke. “We need to set guidelines. It’s a very serious issue.”