GREAT FALLS — While Covid has impacted those in a variety of different ways, assistance is sometimes needed for some more than others.
The Cascade County Sheriff's Office and Juvenile Detention Center worked collaboratively as they experienced shortages related to health and safety.
The Juvenile Detention Center was able to use grant money to buy sanitizing and technological equipment.
Shanna Bulik-Chism, administrator for the Juvenile Detention Center, explained, "Budgeting was difficult. we originally thought that we were over the pandemic after last year, and then of course as prices increased, that significantly impacted our county budget."
She continued, "In order to ensure our social distancing, we're able to purchase two Surface Pro tablets so that we can book kids in and we don't have to have them sitting in an area together when they are waiting to be taken into the facility."
With shortages ranging from equipment to staff, she says the funding has been more important than ever.
Shanna explained, "This grant is going to be hugely and desperately needed because it also is going to help supplant our overtime budget that we've had to increase due to staff being out with Covid and having people come in and work overtime, and so this is going to be a great help to our budget this year."
While the Cascade County Sheriff's Office might not be overcoming obstacles like the Juvenile Detention Center, all of their funding was directed towards Latex Gloves, leading prices to skyrocket from 4 dollars to 25 dollars a box.
Cascade County Sheriff Jesse Slaughter noted, "During the pandemic, the price of gloves went up like 600 percent, so our normal budget couldn't sustain it, so we had to go to a grant to be able to supply our correctional facility with latex gloves."
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