LEBANON — Warren County Sheriff Tom Ariss barred county workers Friday from installing bunk beds in the jail in the latest dispute with commissioners over how to ease jail crowding.

        The sheriff's actions came a week after he began ordering early releases of some prisoners because commissioners cut off his allowance to send inmates to out-of-county jails, criticizing him for not double-bunking inmates soon enough.

        “I'm not going to bend the rules,” Sheriff Ariss said an hour after he ordered his jail staff not to allow county workers in the building at 8 a.m. to install the beds, which he said would violate state regulations for jails.

        Thursday night, commissioners passed a resolution ordering county employees to install the bunks. Sheriff Ariss said he was not aware of the action until Friday morning.

        “It was a way to get the bunks put up,” Commissioner Mike Kilburn said. “We would be as guilty as the sheriff for not putting the bunks up when we had them.”

        Sheriff Ariss said the bunks, which were picked up from Lebanon Correctional Institution this week, would have violated a state-approved plan for double-bunking to allow 14 more inmates in the county jail's minimum-security section.

        The bunks provided by commissioners would have to be hung from the walls and that would have blocked walkways, Sheriff Ariss said.

        He said he feared that any deviation from state-approved changes at the jail would increase the county's liability in civil lawsuits, and could jeopardize $7 million in state grant money being sought to add nearly 200 beds in renovation and additions to the jail.

        The sheriff said the state-approved bunks are on order and he expects them to arrive this month. He plans to begin double-bunking then.

        Mr. Kilburn said commissioners decided to take action when the sheriff told them two weeks ago that his order for new bunks, placed through the state in mid-September, was lost.

        “The sheriff has had ample time. He agreed three or four months ago he would double bunk, and he is dragging his feet,” Mr. Kilburn said.

        Commissioner Larry Crisenbery said commissioners were concerned that early releases could jeopardize public safety and create liability for the county.

        After talking to the sheriff and Prosecutor Tim Oliver later Friday, both commissioners said they they are now willing to wait until the sheriff's bunk beds arrive.

        Added Sheriff Ariss: “Now they know who runs the jail.”

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