Despite recent complaints made via social media, Moniteau County Sheriff Tony Wheatley said conditions in the county jail are as they should be.
"The allegations were that the jail was infested with bugs and that some of the inmates had sores from these bugs and were being denied medical treatment," Wheatley said in an emailed statement Friday.
A June 20 post to Facebook claims an area of the Moniteau County Jail was infested with bedbugs and officials refused to change inmates' bedding, and that inmates had been denied prescription medications.
"I want to make this clear to everyone the Moniteau County Jail is one of the cleanest jail facilities in the state," Wheatley said Friday. "I have a contract with a pest control company who comes in and sprays the entire facility."
The jail staffs nurses and has a doctor on call 24/7, Wheatley said, noting the nursing staff has not taken any reports from inmates regarding infestations or open sores, and inmates who made such claims declined to be seen by staff nurses.
The sheriff also requested a health inspection of the facility, which found no violations nor signs of infestation, he added.
"I just wish that the person or persons who started the social media attacks on the jail would have come to me first and just asked to see the conditions in the jail, then all the time and resources we have expended would have been avoided," Wheatley said in his Friday statement. "There will also ways be complaints from inmates in any county jail; let's face facts, it is a jail and not a bed and breakfast, so you will probably not get everything you want."