Warren County jailer candidates host Q&A to inform public before primary

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – At the Hilton Garden Inn in Bowling Green, current Warren County jailer Stephen Harmon and candidate Javon Roberson held a Q&A for the community to learn more about them before they vote in the primary election.

“Being able to come to an event like this and get educated on what happens in the jail and all the challenges that we have in the jail is really important to each and every voter… and I hope they can really take in what happens in the jail and what we’re responsible for and what a big job it is,” Harmon says.

Both men answered prepared questions as well as some from the audience regarding the issues they’d focus on if elected. While they may have different ideas of how to do it, the goal remains clear: focusing on the future.

“Warren County’s expanding, so with that, we had more people come in… a bigger crowd. The professionalism’s got to be there, the training has to be there. Because more people can get some more people in jail,” Roberson says.

“We’re working on the bill that’s in Frankfort to kind of settle the score between state inmates and county inmates. That’s huge for all of the counties in Kentucky. We’re also looking into adding a social worker into our reentry program. So I’m looking forward to getting all those initiatives going and then also keeping focus on reentry there in the jail for inmates that are reintegrating into society,” Harmon says.

Roberson says there’s no bad blood between the two of them… in fact, they’re friends.

“We talk all the time. It’s just that we have two different leadership styles, and we want to get the public out to see it, and they can decide,” he says.

We asked both candidates why they believe they are the best fit for jailer in Warren County:

“I’ll be the only candidate that has correctional experience. I’m the only candidate that’s been an elected official. As far as jail inspections and jail contracts, I’m set aside from him based on my experience,” Harmon says.

“I’ve actually been out in the field and investigated crimes or even pulled people over, arrested people… and then my service in the United States Marine Corps, under three combat deployments, taking younger and younger people of 100 plus Marines and sailors to combat and back,” Roberson says.

News 40 will keep you updated as the primary approaches.