Ozark Police Department

Very nice clerk

The jail is disgusting. The sheriff, who has ran unopposed many times, has elected not to follow in the footsteps of the neighboring county,Logan County, and ask for a vote on a one-cent sales tax increase to fund the construction & day-to-day operations of a newer, more modern,& larger jail facility. The detention officers are:unprofessional,overly apathetic,inconsistent with their behavior,& seem to be poorly trained. Sheriff Boen, to the best of my knowledge & belief, uses land he privately owns for the inmates to have an “inmate garden”. Land that they would likely not have access to if another sheriff was elected. It is difficult for the inmates to alert the jail staff to medical emergencies & pressing/important matters. I’ve heard stories of people having to “cover up” the cell camera to get staff down to their cell. It’s very sad that they feel they have to commit an act such as that, just to be able to speak to the staff. There exist(ed) person(s) being housed in the “booking room” with lights on 24/7, loud sounds throughout the day/night,& a very short shackle attached to their ankle. This could likely result in sleep deprivation. There is significant overcrowding in the facility. Call on Sheriff Boen to take the steps necessary to have a new jail constructed, have a better trained staff,& to look more closely at the jail policies/procedures. The people in this jail, as with all jails in this country, consist largely of:people that have not yet been convicted of a crime yet that are awaiting trial, people convicted of petty crimes,& people serving short sentences. Everyone in this country enjoys a presumption of innocence until proven guilty. We are all just one mistake or one false accusation from being placed behind those bars. It is important to remember that. These people are still human beings & deserve to be treated as such. It is ridiculous & unacceptable for the jail staff to talk to the inmates with unwarranted disrespect or to not prioritize them being taken before a judge for a bond hearing in a timely manner or to not assist them with reasonable requests.