Tim Akins, a former staff sergeant in the Hamilton County sheriff’s department now running as an independent for sheriff, said morale is “way down” for corrections officers in the county jail.

“They don’t know what to do,” he said Monday in a meeting with the Chattanooga Times Free Press editorial board.

Mr. Akins, who oversaw booking in the county jail and now drives a truck for a private company, said employees saw former Sheriff Billy Long “bring his friends in and take their jobs.” Supervisors in the jail need to be reassigned, Mr. Akins said.

Mr. Long resigned as sheriff in February after being arrested on federal drug, gun, money laundering and extortion charges. He pleaded guilty to most of the charges and is awaiting sentencing.

Jim Hammond, the Republican candidate for sheriff, said he had not heard of any particular morale problems at the jail, except from Mr. Akins.

“I would suspect that it was like any division,” he said. “Some don’t like it, some do.”

Mr. Hammond said he would meet personally with officers in every division to ask employees about their concerns.

Democratic sheriff candidate Greg Beck, a former corrections officer in the jail, said the key to improving jail employee morale is by “building a connection” among officers, supervisors and the sheriff.

“You have to start at the top,” he said. “There’s a lot of pressure over there.”

Mr. Beck also discussed sensitivity training and cultural training for officers as important factors.

Jim Winters, an independent candidate for sheriff, said he believes morale is bad because of what he characterized as political pressure from supervisors. He said the way to deal with low morale is through a good example.

“I’ll never ask them to do anything I wouldn’t do myself,” he said.

Write-in candidate Fred Fuson said morale may be linked to staffing.

“They’re supposed to be down by about 20 people,” he said. “That could lessen the morale.”

Corrections Corporation of America, the company that runs the Silverdale Detention Center, should not have any part in operating the Hamilton County Jail, Mr. Akins said.

Mr. Hammond has said he could look into privatizing the jail, but he said he is not in any hurry to rush into office and do so. He said he just wants to “look at any option to assist the county and the taxpayer.”

Mr. Hammond, who said he has raised more than $100,000 in campaign funds, said he has “not accepted one dime” from CCA.

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