Photo by Savannah Schmidt.
Sheriff John Samaniego stands in his office in Shelby County. Samaniego has led the development of a mental health block in the Shelby County Jail to assist struggling inmates.
A significant expansion at the Shelby County Jail is underway this year, with a heightened focus on mental and medical health units for inmates.
“This will help us to manage the inmates and allow us to have more room and be safer for the mental health workers who come and treat the inmates we have with mental health needs,” said Shelby County Sheriff John Samaniego. “I think a lot of people don’t realize that we have professionals who come in and deliver services every day.”
The project has been in the works for several years, following the Shelby County Commission’s approval of an estimated $28 million to transform the current jail into four distinct areas. Construction on the expansion is expected to be completed by October.
The jail, built more than 20 years ago, was originally designed to hold roughly 236 inmates. However, the inmate population has outgrown the facility, and the new plans aim to provide more focused care for those incarcerated.
Currently, the jail has two pods. A third pod will be added, providing more beds along with dedicated spaces for inmates under mental health watch.
The medical portion of the jail will include approximately 23 beds, while the new mental health support space will have roughly 18 beds. An additional unit will feature 24 beds and support spaces.
As part of the renovations, the jail will also undergo a comprehensive update to bring its technology and central control systems up to modern standards.
Photo by Savannah Schmidt.
Sheriff John Samaniego will introduce a mental health sector of the county prison in 2025 aimed at reducing violence and personal issues inside the cells.
In 2024, Samaniego said the jail hired a social worker to advocate for inmates.
“We have someone now who works to really help those who are incarcerated, whether it is helping them get a driver’s license, a GED, or various programs to work with them so that when they are released, they don’t go right back to where they were,” Samaniego said. “I really can’t say enough good things about the position and the work that our social worker does. It really has been a great thing added.”
The new mental health unit will allow for more direct supervision, with staff present at all times to monitor and ensure the well-being of inmates.
Samaniego noted that the current jail setup requires special blocks to be designated for inmates with special medical or mental health needs, but the facility often struggles with capacity issues.
“We have some cases that are more severe, and the more severe cases require more hands on deck,” Samaniego said. “This project will allow more supervision and ultimately more safety.”
The expansion plans include a segregation unit, a new mental health wing, expanded inmate property storage, repurposed office spaces, an expanded medical unit, and a new housing pod to increase overall capacity.
While mental health issues are not new, Samaniego said society has become more accepting and focused on addressing them.
“Mental health issues are not new issues, but I think more people talk about it and accept it now than when they did, say, 20 or 30 years ago,” Samaniego said. “The state got rid of its mental health facilities years ago, and in the ’90s, you had alternative sentencing such as drug court or mental health court. I think the average person who is not familiar with law enforcement does not realize that 90 percent of our job is helping people. Mental health has always been a focus, but I think you are starting to have a more centralized focus on classifying these inmates. We are getting more severe cases now.”
Samaniego was elected Shelby County sheriff in 2014 and was re-elected for a second term, which began on Jan. 14, 2019.
The operational and administrative responsibilities of the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office include overseeing the jail, which will have a 550-plus bed capacity upon expansion, and managing more than 240 employees.
“I think a lot of people would be surprised with all of the things our deputies have to come into contact with on a daily basis,” Samaniego said. “Making sure that they are equipped with all of the ways to handle the things they come into contact with is a big priority for me.”
Samaniego said deputies undergo training on mental health issues to better understand and address specific situations.
When construction is complete, Samaniego estimates the facility will feature the first dedicated medical mental health unit in the state.
“When you are dealing with construction on a facility like this, security is paramount,” Samaniego said. “We cannot put any of the inmates around construction, but I think so far all of it is going well, and we are excited to see how it all turns out.”
Samaniego described Shelby County as “forward-thinking” and commended the Shelby County Commission for recognizing the need for the project.
“I am very proud of all of the work that has gone into this and really thankful for the Shelby County Commissioners who saw the need we were having and really took notice of that,” Samaniego said.
