Tour of Screven County Jail; Sheriff Mike Kile reassures families about prison conditions

SCREVEN COUNTY, Ga. (WTOC) – After a social media post gained attention, several viewers wrote to our newsroom voicing their concerns about conditions at the Screven County Jail.

We followed up on several local reports of problems with hot water, withholding of menstrual products, uncooked food, cell doors not locking and vermin issues in the prison and went to see for ourselves. We hope to address some of these concerns.

“It's not the Marriott, it's still a jail,” said Sheriff Mike Kile.

The Screven County Jail opened in 2016, and Sheriff Mike Kile said there was nothing wrong with the jail. It was just an election year, and complaints were piling up this year.

“It's all politics. We have resistance. And this is my tenth time running for office. Every time there has been resistance, jails and patrols have been deployed. And that's pure politics. And that's exactly what they're doing,” said Sheriff Kile.

We have gone through the list of public concerns.

“I don't know if there's a rodent problem, period. Every now and then we get roaches in boxes and stuff. We spray weekly and don't have a problem there,” said Sheriff Kile.

As for concerns about dirty water, the sheriff said the social media comments were lies.

“The same water that comes out the back here is the same water we get in the front. That's a complete fabrication and a lie,” said Sheriff Kile. “There's no way we can separate the water that goes back in the back. It comes in here from the highway, into the main line and splits. There's no way we can shut that water off.”

There are also concerns about hot water, as prisoners have reportedly been without hot water since July.

“Every now and then something goes down and we’re without a day or two,” said Sheriff Kile.

According to Sheriff Kile, there are no restrictions on inmates' access to feminine menstrual products. They are given two to three products at a time and can ask for more at any time throughout the day.

“We have female jailers. They go back and check on them, and whatever they need, we give them. Anything they need for their health, anything else they need, they get it,” Sheriff Kile said.

Inmates are not locked in their cells but are able to move freely around the block due to concerns about insecure cells.

The area is patrolled by security guards who make their rounds every hour and there is also 24-hour surveillance.

“We don't lock them up. They have free access to the place (their cell block). They walk around. So they have free access, so to speak, all day and all night. Within that area,” said Sheriff Kile.

There are currently two guards working for the prison and looking after the inmates. There are currently 37 inmates in the prison, at peak times there were 200.

Sheriff Kile also said that more resources would be nice, but he does not expect it.

“We get our fair share of county funds. Nobody ever has enough money. Nobody can do enough for these prisoners. Everyone wants money. We'd love more. We'd love another guard. But you know, we have 14,000 people in Screven County. We do the best we can with what we have,” said Sheriff Kile.

Sheriff Kile said he wished no one was here, but that is not the reality.

“You made the choice. You made the choice. We don't want to keep you here. We wish we didn't have anyone in prison. But prisons have been here since the beginning of time and they will be here forever,” said Sheriff Kile.

He wants families not to worry because their loved ones will be taken care of. He said that while it is not a five-star resort, the conditions are far from deplorable.

“This is a county jail. It's not the Marriott Hotel. We don't offer curbside service. We don't offer room service. It's the families that expect that, and they're not going to get it,” said Sheriff Kile.

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