Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

By: Casey Roberts

Contributing Writer

When Lincoln County Jailer Griffin Harness took office in 2022, he was well aware he was facing challenges like no other. He was the youngest elected official in Lincoln County history — and among the youngest in Kentucky — at age 28. But there was a twist in his role: He was a jailer without a jail.

“I didn’t know what I was getting myself into,” he said. “A jailer without a jail? Seemed pretty crazy to me to run for an office that at that time seemed to have no purpose. But I had a mission — make the office have a purpose and set the standard for jailers across the state.”

While Harness had a mere week of formal training prior to being sworn in, he wasted no time. He toured the county’s shuttered jail, a site that he hoped could hold the key to its revival. But after discussions with local government officials, he concluded that reopening the facility did not make financial sense — at least for now.

Instead, he focused his energy on reimagining the jailer’s position — creating a support network for inmates housed in three regional facilities in Rockcastle, Pulaski, and Casey counties.

“We’re responsible for our inmates, regardless of where they are housed,” he added. “That means doctor’s appointments, hospital visits, court appearances, even family funeral visitations is our responsibility.”

For a small team, coordinating inmate transport and services is no small feat. The Lincoln County Jailer’s Office has only two full-time staff members and three volunteers who are dedicated to keeping them constantly busy.

“We work nonstop from the morning to the night,” Harness said. “It’s our job to pick them up and bring them back to one of our contracted facilities if someone gets arrested in Paducah on a Lincoln County warrant.”

While workload remains a challenge, Harness continues to be very involved in rehabilitation efforts. His initiative, work release for inmates, has been a boon to the taxpayers of Lincoln County, saving them thousands in labor costs and giving inmates useful skills for their future.

“When I ran for office, I ran on this program,” he said. “It was my project, my main goal as jailer. It’s about fixing the problem, not just punishing people.”

Inmates working in the program have participated in a number of community projects such as painting government buildings, cleaning schools, mowing public properties, and washing police and fire vehicles. The program also involves roadside cleanups to help keep Lincoln County clean and beautiful.

“It’s about more than just the work,” Harness said. “Really, it’s about giving inmates a sense of purpose, an opportunity to prove themselves, and preparing them for re-entering society. Many of these people are skilled — painters, builders, mechanics — and they require a nurturing environment to start over.”

The jailer’s faith-based approach inspired a lasting impact as well. He routinely gifts donated Bibles to inmates, as well as shares his conviction in second chances.

“I want them to know in their darkest moments, and when they feel like they’re all alone, that there’s something that you can lean on,” he said. “One of my greatest successes was bringing an inmate to Christ. I got into the backseat with him, prayed and watched him blaze a new trail.”

Moving forward, Harness has two ambitions — expand the work release program and find a way to bring the correctional facility back to Lincoln County.

“I would want to see the work program operate year-round, Monday through Friday,” he said. “Long term, I remain hopeful that one day, I know I will be bringing a jail back to our county. It would be known as the Lincoln County Correctional Facility — because it’s not only about locking people up. It is about redemption, changing behavior, giving folks a second chance.”

This is the heart of Harness’s vision — to act as both jailer and reformer, proving that when you center people and their lifestyles around the jailhouse, everyone stands a chance to grow and flourish.

“My motivation comes from the folks that elected me and the inmates that I’m able to affect their lives,” he said. “It’s about touching lives, one at a time.”