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Ontonagon jail sees improvements

Kali Katerberg/Daily Mining Gazette Ontonagon Sheriff Dale Rantala addresses the Ontonagon County Board at Tuesday's meeting.

ONTONAGON — If there’s ever a time to get a close look at the inside of the county jail it’s now, as upcoming improvements may make the visit go a little smoother.

Thanks to a grant through the National Criminal History Improvement Project, the sheriff’s office will be getting a new Live Scan System. Used to capture and record fingerprints, palm prints and mug shots, the system will cost $15,544, said Sheriff Dale Rantala.

The total for the grant is $15,495, ensuring most of the cost is covered, though the funds won’t be reimbursed until 2019.

“I think it’s great we got approved for a grant and we only have to pay $49 for a very good system,” Rantala said.

The old system is around 15 years old.

The scans will automatically go to Lansing and be of a higher quality than before, stopping the need for callbacks from unsuccessful fingerprinting attempts.

It’s hard to get individuals, who don’t even want to be fingerprinted the first time, to come back and do it again, Rantala explained.

“The nice thing about this computer system is we know when we hit send we’re good,” he said

The grant-funded purchase was unanimously approved.

Other improvements included a request from Rantala to purchase a new shower system for the jail, which was built in 1965.

“My jail is old and falling apart,” he said, noting that the cell showers need to have three of the five turned on to have them function. If not turned off, they will run continuously.

The unwieldy system wastes water and corrections officers’ time, he explained. The board unanimously approved Rantala to look into getting bids. He projected the new system would be in the $1,400 range.

A new corrections officer will be starting soon after Rantala made the hire he requested in previous months. The new officer is Kenny Lee Waldrop.

“He’ll be an excellent fit with our department,” Rantala said.

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