MONROE - Due to a shortage of female jail deputies and the labor-intensive design of the 1981 Green County Jail, all female inmates have been moved to the Iowa County Jail or if eligible for Huber privileges, placed on electronic monitoring, according to a press release sent by Sheriff Jeff Skatrud on Aug. 5.

Four female inmates were moved to the Iowa County Jail on July 26 and he does not anticipate being able to hold female inmates until early in 2023. As of August 5, four additional female inmates are on electronic monitoring. Some responsibilities of holding either female (or male) inmates are gender specific.  

“We’ve been able to staff the mandatory minimum of two jail deputies on a shift, but due to female jail deputy vacancies, at times the two jail deputies on duty are male, Skatrud said. “If a female inmate is arrested and brought to jail, they are booked in and transported to the Iowa County Jail in Dodgeville.” 

The cost of holding an inmate in another jail is between $50 and $60 per day as well as Green County being responsible for medical costs and the transportation of the inmate to that jail and back if required for a court appearance.

“We are actively recruiting for jail deputies and will continue to work toward filling our staff. Once a new deputy successfully completes the hiring process, they complete a training period that takes between 4-5 months. Deputies are filling overtime shifts to maintain the security of the jail and later in August, our sworn staff is moving to a different schedule to drive down overtime,” Skatrud said. “Green County is not alone in experiencing staffing challenges. The lack of applicants for law enforcement positions is a challenge for most counties and municipalities in the State of Wisconsin.”