Task Force Calls for Accreditation for Jackson County Jail

A special committee appointed to study operations at the Jackson County Detention Center has released its final report with several suggestions for improvement.

The Kansas City Star reports the Department of Corrections Task Force released its report on Monday. The report listed several recommendations, but task force members said the most important is for Jackson County to take steps to immediately to have the jail become accredited by the American Correctional Association.

According to Alvin Brooks, a former city councilman who led the task force, the jail's accreditation was allowed to lapse nearly 20 years ago and is the underlying cause of many of the facility's current challenges.

Other recommendations from the task force include higher pay and more training for jail guards, and improving the internal health care system for prisoners.