A random cell check turns up a homemade knife in a cell at the Saline County Jail. Sheriff Glen Kochanowski explained the handle on a toilet brush had been sharpened over time by rubbing the hard plastic shaft on the concrete floor.

“It’s a challenge everyday to stay on top of what the inmates are trying to do,” Kochanowski said.

The 6-inch shank was found under the mattress of a bed during a random cell search by deputies on Wednesday.

“We have to do better on things like this for the safety of prisoners and safety of the staff.”

Sheriff Kochanowski tells KSAL News that each day deputies give prisoners a mop bucket with mop, broom and a toilet brush to clean their cells. The cleaning tools are then to be checked back out of the cell piece by piece.

There are currently 181 people being held inside the jail with an additional 47 inmates being housed out in facilities in Mitchell, Ottawa, Geary, McPherson and Cloud Counties to ease overcrowding issues.

According to Sheriff Kochanowski, since October of 2011, Saline County has spent $1.2 million dollars to transport and house prisoners in neighboring counties.