New Padded Cell at Clark County Jail

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By Emily Bontrager 

In November of 2023, the Clark County Jail upgraded their detox cell into a fully padded safety cell. 

Padded jail cells have become essential to keep inmates and staff members safe. The padded cells are also known as seclusion rooms, violent rooms, de-escalation rooms, detoxification rooms, and cool down rooms. 

The padded cell will help in situations when an inmate is going through detox from alcohol or drugs, when inmates have violent anger issues, when inmates show signs of a potential suicide attempt, or when other behavior poses a potential threat to the inmate or staff. 

“We are one of the first Sheriff’s Offices in our area to add a safety cell,” Clark County Sheriff Shawn Webster said. 

“Mental health issues have become a real concern in county jails and I’m certain this padded cell will be a huge step in helping us deal with this issue while keeping inmates safe.” 

The new padded cell cost around $33,000 to complete and was funded by ARPA money. 

The padded cell has padding on the floor, walls, ceiling, and door. The cell will be utilized when inmates become a danger to themselves, other inmates, or staff members through aggressive or violent behavior. 

“As Sheriff, I believe this padded jail cell is a more humane option for the inmate and staff in these extreme situations, rather than going hands on with an inmate and strapping them to a restraint board or chair where someone could be injured,” Sheriff Webster explained. 

“This padded cell will also help prevent injuries from punching walls and windows, which sometimes result in doctor appointments and deputies being responsible for transporting them to the hospital and away from their duties.” 

The new padded cell is also soundproof, which helps when an inmate becomes upset or yells causing them to be disruptive to other inmates and detention officers. 

Sheriff Webster has been working on getting a padded cell in the jail for several years and he is excited that the new upgrade is now finished. 

“Over the last several months we have used the padded cell several times and it worked just as I thought it would, keeping the inmate safe and preventing the inmate from being loud and disruptive. Having this padded cell has already allowed us to help other agencies in the area with inmates they were having issues with because the cell was not being used at the time,” Sheriff Webster said. 

Sheriff Webster would like to thank the Clark County Commissioners for taking the time to always visit with him during the process of this project and agreeing to the padded cell for the jail. 

“I also want to thank the Clark County Road and Bridge Department for removing the privacy wall.”