Reginald Scandrett had an eventful first year as Henry County’s sheriff in 2021.

Taking office at the beginning of the year after winning the 2020 election over nine challengers, Scandrett is only the third sheriff in the county in the past 40 years. Donald Chaffin was appointed in the middle of 1982 by then-Gov. George Busbee and went on to win re-election six times, while Keith McBrayer won the office in 2008 and served three terms. Scandrett received the endorsement of both men during his campaign.

He faced a unique challenge on his first day in office as the COVID-19 pandemic was still looming large over all county government operations including the court system. With the death of two HCSO officers taking place within days of his swearing in, Scandrett and his staff created a rigorous collection of policies and procedures related to the pandemic so that employees could do their job and serve the public at minimal health risk to all.

“We made sure the entire staff was familiar with that once it was written so that the safety of our employees and the people we come in contact with are safe,” he said in a January 24 interview with the Times. “It has worked as far as how we have mitigated that since then.”

The inmate population at the county jail has remained steady throughout his administration, with approximately 650 inmates residing there as of last week. That number is close to capacity, the sheriff said.

Nearly half of the adult defendants who are processed into the jail (48 percent) have not completed their high school education. With one of his top six goals being a reduction in recidivism so that these people do not return to jail, Scandrett identified this educational need as a key factor that could help the numbers go down.

The HCSO has implemented a GED program recently that Scandrett said is working well. “We look forward in the next month to graduating our first class,” he said.

In addition to reducing recidivism, the sheriff’s top goals include fostering community engagement; creating a multijurisdictional collaborative with other law enforcement agencies; garnering national certifications; inducing a restorative type of justice system or program; and empowering and engaging employees.

Right now there are slightly more than 320 employees with the department, which is operating on a budget this year of just above $31 million. Now current SPLOST capital projects are in the works related to HCSO facilities, although county commissioners have in the past couple of years given their tentative support to a new judicial center that would eventually be built on Henry Parkway near the jail. If that happens, it would be several years away at least.

“We are trying to make facilities safer and also more attractive from the outside, and bring everything into the 21st century,” said Scandrett. “We have brought in some great employees in the past year and we will consistently work toward being one of the best departments in the state.”

But he, along with Henry County Police Department officials and other county department heads, are struggling to recruit and keep good employees because of what many have said is inadequate compensation. It was at the forefront of a December meeting of the Henry County Board of Commissioners, when a proposed 10-percent pay increase for all county employees failed to pass.

Scandrett is using his voice and position to champion that cause. “I am tremendously concerned that the county is not competitive with regard to pay grade,” he said. “We are in a holding pattern as far as getting and retaining employees who will keep services at a high level. We are losing people by the droves in public safety because we are not where we should be from the pay perspective. We are going to have to get into that conversation if we are going to stay relevant and keep the people safe in Henry County.”