New medical sensors in county jail ease burden on employees, aid in detoxes

WENATCHEE — The Chelan County Regional Justice Center has significantly enhanced its medical monitoring capabilities with the installation of 44 new medical sensors, bringing the total to 68 sensors now operational in single-occupancy cells. This initiative aims to improve care for an increasingly vulnerable population struggling with chronic conditions like alcoholism and drug addictions.

Chris Sharp, director of the Regional Justice Center, emphasized the critical need for these sensors, stating, “With today’s opioid crisis, we must do our part to ensure we are providing the safest environment possible for those people we are entrusted to care for.”

Previously, individuals requiring mandatory booking — including those arrested for felonies, DUIs, and domestic violence — were sometimes placed in non-sensored cells if a sensor-equipped one was unavailable, necessitating additional staff care and oversight or even triage to determine requirements. With the expanded sensor installation, the facility can now accommodate and provide enhanced care for a greater number of people, reducing overcrowding and improving both employees’ and inmates’ situation substantially.

Sharp further explained the impact of this expansion: “With the additional sensors installed, we hope to be able to process more people into the facility who we know will be detoxing. These sensors will allow our staff to respond in a timely manner to what could be a critical medical event, in hopes to, first and foremost, save lives, but to also lower the risk and liability to the county and provide a safer, more secure environment for both the incarcerated and our staff.”

The project was funded through opioid settlement dollars, with contributions from Douglas County and a grant from the statewide county risk pool. The total cost for the additional 44 sensors, covering purchase, installation, and maintenance through 2028, is $359,400.

In recognition of its innovative use of technology, including these medical sensors, the Regional Justice Center was honored with the 2025 Detention Facility Innovation Award by the National Institute for Jail Operations.

Andrew Simpson: 509-433-7626 or andrew@ward.media