Commission hears update from ECDC

By ROB LARSON
Daily Press Staff Writer
Warden Shawn Funk of the Eddy County Detention Center (ECDC) asked the Eddy County Commission Tuesday for permission to hire a new medical services director and inmate food services provider, then discussed prison statistics spanning a five-year period.
From July 2008 to September 2012, 13,027 prisoners were admitted into ECDC. On average, 2,605 were admitted on a yearly basis, 211 on a monthly basis, and seven on a daily basis. At the same time, 13,019 individuals, or roughly seven people per day, were released from ECDC. On any given day, there are about 238 prisoners housed inside the prison. … For the rest of the story, subscribe in print and on the web.
Funk also broke down the prison’s population, noting that age groups that make up most of the population are 18-24 and 41-and-over. According to the warden, the reason for the spike is due to repeat offenders simply growing older. Funk said 70 percent of the prison population is comprised of repeat offenders.