On January 1, long-time Clinton County public servant Gene Ferrill will leave his position as Clinton County Jailer, opting to retire after serving a consecutive four straight terms and a combined five total terms in that capacity.

Ferrill’s total two decades actually began a little over 40 years ago when he was elected and served one term as jailer from 1973 through 1977 before going back into private work, which included among other jobs, operating the now-closed landfill, running a backhoe and dozer service and doing plumbing work.

After 20 years in private life, Ferrill, now 73, was again elected jailer in 1998 and has served in that capacity ever since.

The retiring official said the thing he would definitely miss the most about leaving the job was associating with people. “I’m going to miss working with people, even the inmates,” he said. He added, “I try to see that everyone is treated fairly and I try to help anybody I can.”

Ferrill said upon retirement, if he was able, he would always find something to do, but did say age was the primary reason for his decision to retire after this term. “Age takes its toll,” he said.

Ferrill says his years as jailer was not an easy job with the liability of overseeing a detention facility being possibly one of the biggest challenges, along with keeping prisoners safe. He served his first two years as jailer in the “old Clinton County Jail,” at one point referring to it as a place “that Frankenstein wouldn’t feel comfortable in.”

The new jail was built two years into his first term and Ferrill noted he was so anxious to see it complete that he helped some with the construction of the current jail–which is now pushing 40 years old itself.

Ferrill recalled some stories and incidents about the “old jail”, recalling it was heated with a coal stove and one room (cell) was called “Maggie’s Room” where female inmates were housed.

Ferrill said part jokingly that if someone wanted to escape badly enough, they could almost “rear back and kick a hole in the wall.”

The jail had one large (cell) room upstairs for inmates, with a cage in the center for more unruly inmates.

The jailer recalled there was one instance where an inmate had been in the caged area for awhile but had talked him (Ferrill) into letting him out long enough to see some family visitors that were coming by. Apparently while the inmate was outside his area, other inmates had dug a hole and the inmate escaped through it when he got back.

That particular inmate was caught a short time later near where he lived, Ferrill added.

He also recalls that then the April 3, 1974 tornados came through, inmates were moved to the basement of the nearby Methodist church. He also recalls the heavy rains encountered while they were being moved, saying it was literally “raining mud” during the storm.

Ferrill also remembered well that prisoners almost had to sleep with their heads covered up due to the amount of bats that resided there. He recalls he and his wife (and what little other jail staff there was at the time) fighting off those bats many times the first two years he was jailer.

Ferrill also recalls the new jail being built, under the overseeing of Ira B. Honeycutt, a well-known building contractor and inspector. All of the names of the Clinton County Fiscal Court members who were in office when the jail was constructed is on a plaque at the jail to this day.

The jailer also recalls the “pay scale” of jailers back in the 1970s, noting jailers only received 37 and-a-half cents each for locking up and letting out inmates and was allotted only $5 per day per prisoner for food. Ferrill recalls that if it wasn’t for a trash pickup service he also ran while jailer, the first couple of years would have been rough. “The first year I think I may have made about $600,” he recalls.

He also said in those days, the jailer was in charge of taking care (maintenance) of the courthouse, which paid $90 per month.

Ferrill said there is a big difference now in the regulations and also types of inmates housed at local–or any–detention facility.

He said that back in the 70s, the biggest problem was probably drinking and fights, but with the drug problems facing our society now, “you don’t know what kind of shape (an inmate) will be in 10 minutes after they arrive,” adding some inmates suspected of drug use “have to be kept awake,” and in many instances searched for liability reasons. “When working in a jail, you have to stay in control,” he added.

He also estimated that at least 80 percent of inmates that are housed in the jail for one reason or another is directly or indirectly related to drug problems. Ferrill also noted there seemed to be an increase in domestic abuse problems, which again in some cases, may be linked to drugs.

“It’s nothing like it used to be,” Ferrill said in referencing the difference between now and his first term four decades ago.

There is one program that Ferrill is praising in the war on drugs, that being the Drug Court program. The program, he said, was a change for the better for a lot of people and gives them a second chance. “For some young people, Drug Court is one of the best things ever,” saying he believed it has saved several people, especially young adults.

Over his years in office, Ferrill has worked with four different county judges and/or judge/executives as they became known in the 1980s, as well as countless other officials and law enforcement agencies. “I have worked with some of the best elected officials that Clinton County has to offer,” Ferrill said.

He also thanked all the merchants, doctors, pharmacists and others that have been such a big help over the years, saying they have helped save our county money and have been good to work with over the years.

The soon to be retired jailer also had kind words for his successor, Johnny Thrasher, noting he had worked with him at the jail for several years and said, “he will do well.”

Ferrill has four children, Gregory, Sandy, Legion and step-son David Riddle.