COMMISSION OPENS JAIL PHONE BIDS

JACKSON -- Under a new contract providing coinless, collect inmate telephone service to the Cape Girardeau County Jail, the sheriff's department would receive between 30 and 36 percent of phone company collections for the service.

The County Commission Thursday opened bids for the service from Southwestern Bell Telephone, LDDS and AmeriTel, the current provider.

All of them promised a work station, allowing the jailer to block out numbers inmates shouldn't call. Southwestern Bell proposed 30 percent of the profits go to the sheriff's Crime Reduction Fund, but LDDS proposed 35 percent with a $2,000 minimum monthly guarantee.

AmeriTel guaranteed the $2,000 minimum, plus offered $3,000 upon execution of the contract and another $12,000 when the terms begin.

Presiding Commissioner Gerald Jones said Sheriff John Jordan and County Clerk Rodney Miller would review the bids and make a suggestion, to be reviewed at the commission's next meeting, scheduled for Thursday morning.

Jordan said money collected from the phone company goes to help judges, prosecutors and law enforcement officers.

"It's part of making the criminal element pay for crime," he said. "Before, prisoners complained that they couldn't use the phones like they wanted to. Private industry came in and made it so law enforcement could benefit."

Prisoners in the county jail have free access to the phones during certain hours of the day.

The commission also heard from County Prosecutor Morley Swingle, whose request mirrored one Jordan made a week ago.

Jordan had argued that the employees promoted in his department weren't being paid their annual cost-of-living raises after the pay increase they received from the promotions.

Karen Buchheit, an investigator in Swingle's department, was promoted to lieutenant Jan. 1. Swingle said her January paycheck didn't reflect the proper amount.

"Karen is one of our best employees," he said. "She has her bachelor's degree, her master's degree and she is really outstanding. She doesn't feel like she is being treated fairly."

According to the employee handbook, she should have received a 6 percent increase or the minimum applicable salary for the job, whichever was higher.

As with Jordan's people, the commission ruled that Buchheit receive a 6 percent increase and an additional level on the county's step program, but wouldn't receive a 3 percent annual adjustment.

Because of all the challenges to the county's promotion policy, a committee of the county clerk, auditor and collector is reviewing it and will report to the commission.