Working behind the walls of Ottawa County’s two jails are the unseen heroes of Ottawa County.

BY SHERI TRUSTY

PORT CLINTON – While road deputies and police officers have many opportunities to connect with the local community and often receive words of gratitude for their service, there is a segment of law enforcement that is often forgotten – the heroes that work in jails. The corrections deputies that work in Ottawa County’s two jails are just as important to public safety and have jobs that are just as dangerous as the work done outside the facility.

Ottawa County Sheriff Stephen Levorchick has chosen to deputize his correctional officers, making them corrections deputies. They work in the county’s Detention Facility (full service) and Minimum Security Jail. The corrections deputies hold the same responsibilities and endure the same stress as correctional officers at other jails and are often misunderstood and underappreciated by the public.

The Ottawa County corrections deputies protect the public from the inmates, protect the inmates during their stay in the jail, and take care of a myriad of tasks that are necessary to house humans. They perform security checks every 30 minutes, bring them meals three times a day, accompany the nursing staff when they administer medication, transport inmates to court dates and prison, and serve as the jail handyman when necessary, fixing inmates’ tablets and anything else that isn’t working, among many other duties.

Daily, they deal with inmates who are struggling with mental health, addiction, or behavioral issues. At any moment, an inmate may become dangerous.

And there is another side of corrections work that the public doesn’t see. Often, the corrections deputies serve as mentors to inmates who are struggling with life.

“It’s a tough position to be in as an inmate,” said Corrections Deputy Jim Berlin. “A lot of them are not bad people. They made a mistake, but they’re just like you and me. Maybe it’s a young person going down the wrong path. Sometimes, it just takes a conversation to help them through that.”

The corrections deputies are often unofficial counselors, and sometimes they save lives.

“I can’t tell you how many people I’ve dealt with who were suicidal. They are in jail, so they can’t work and can’t pay their bills. They’ve lost their kids, their home, their car,” Berlin said. “I’ve spent hundreds of hours talking to people, bringing them out of that. My job is to try to keep them safe under my care.”

Road deputies often face the stressful job of arresting people who are dangerous or experiencing a mental health crisis. Yet once they are in the jail, the corrections deputies must care for them 24/7 for as long as they are incarcerated.

“We may have to deal with them for four hours or two years,” Berlin said.

The physical, emotional, and mental stress is difficult on the corrections deputies.

“We typically deal with people on their worst days. It transfers. You absorb that, being around someone who is always unhappy,” Berlin said. “It’s hard to clear your mind of that and not take it home. That’s the hardest part – the negativity and the stress.”

Like many of the corrections officers, Berlin handles the stress by purposefully having a positive mindset and viewing the inmates as people who matter.

“This is a doom and gloom environment, but I can find the bright side of things,” Berlin said. “We treat them like humans. We treat them with respect. I’m not here to judge anyone. I enforce the rules, but they respect that because I treat them well.”

That compassion impacts the inmates while they are incarcerated, helps decrease recidivism, and can guide an inmate into a positive future. That benefits the community as much as the inmates.

“I like being able to come in and make a difference in somebody’s else’s day. I can give them words of encouragement, to help them figure out whatever is going on in their life and maybe fix it,” Berlin said.

For some inmates, it is their first experience being treated as a person with value.

“Some come back and say thank you for giving them the time of day and not just yelling at them,” Berlin said. “The people who appreciate us the most are the inmates.”

The correctional deputies provide invaluable work that impacts individuals and benefits the community. They deserve every word of appreciation they are given.