WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — The Forsyth County Detention Center has 101 detention officer vacancies at the moment.
With that said, improvements are happening from new safety locks to the potential of more pay for detention officers.
WMFY News 2's Amber Lake toured the facility Tuesday where she learned about safety, services offered, and plans to improve the detention center in hopes of attracting more officers.
Right now, there are 756 people behind bars in Forsyth County.
Compare that to the number of detention officer vacancies the department is seeing.
With 250 total officer positions, the Forsyth County Detention Center is looking to fill 101 of those.
Forsyth County Sheriff Bobby Kimbrough said safety is a top priority.
Yet sometimes, that safety is compromised when a lock on a cell door is manipulated by an inmate to pop open.
Sheriff Kimbrough said a new lock system is in the works.
"Even though we are short, we are still securing the building. If the building is fully staffed that comes with the hazard of the job because as you saw in the behavioral unit, there are people who are suffering from a lot of different things, so that comes with hazards of the job or something like that happens we address it and we deal with it," Sheriff Bobby Kimbrough said.
The new locks should start getting installed in 90 days.
The safety of inmates is important as well.
That's why the sheriff said there is a behavioral health unit that's been in place for 2 years -- helping many, get the help they need.
"There's so much growth, whether individuals just learn to identify their emotions of what they are going through actually seeing and using their coping skills I didn't find those emotions regulating those skills so much just to put in the practice that they are seeing," Joshua Bowman, BHU social worker said.
The Behavioral Health Unit can house 20 inmates.
Right now, 17 beds are full.
Even though the detention center needs 101 officers, the BHU is fully staffed.