The Leelanau County Jail was recently inspected by officials of the Michigan Department of Corrections and found to be "100 percent compliant" with state requirements for county jails.

Sheriff Mike Oltersdorf noted that since the county jail was relocated from Leland to the new Law Enforcement Center in Suttons Bay Township in 2005, the jail has been inspected twice and achieved 100 percent compliance each time.

Prior to the move, the jail routinely received much lower scores and was considered out of compliance with state requirements. In a news release, the sheriff said that only half of Michigan jails inspected receive the distinction of being 100 percent compliant.

“Jail commander Cheryl King and the entire jail staff is to be commended on receiving this award,” Oltersdorf said. “The jail operation is very demanding and the inmate population requires constant monitoring. Correctional deputies must pay attention to every detail related to jail operation in order to minimize our liability. Our current jail staff is exceptional in their performance.”

A two-page report prepared by a Michigan Department of Corrections inspector noted that the jail has “a rated design capacity of 80 beds,” and that on the day of inspection, April 30, “the Leelanau County Jail was in compliance with all of the Administrative Rules for Jails and Lockups.”