“Jailer Al Lavoie keeps track of his inmates with a hand-written list of their names, crimes, dates of incarceration and other information.Jim Larsen / staff photosThe first time he was in jail, Island County Commissioner Mike Shelton said he couldn’t get our fast enough. But last Monday was his ninth annual visit, and he’s grown accustomed to the place.There’s a sense of people in control here, it’s quiet and organized, Shelton told fellow commissioners Bill Thorn and Mac McDowell over a jailhouse lunch. I must be getting used to it.The commissioners laughed, but in fact this year’s visit to the jail was a fairly pleasant experience. Nobody locked them behind bars, and the tour guides, Sheriff Mike Hawley and Jailer Al Lavoie, were polite hosts. Hawley seconded Shelton’s opinion that the county jail is a peaceful place, and admitted he sometimes goes there just to find a quiet area to work.Hawley credited his staff, now led by Lavoie, for the jail’s atmosphere. Lavoie returned to Island County Feb. 14 to take over the jail, four years after having left to head the more hectic Lynnwood city jail. Even jailers prefer the island’s rural atmosphere.The Island County Jail isn’t overflowing with prisoners, but all 58 beds are full. The days when the county could make money renting out space to other jurisdictions are gone. The county now has enough criminals to fully fill its own jail. We’re crowded, but not overcrowded, said Shelton.Besides the county jail’s long cell block, there’s an interview room and a visitors room.You’re inside a city, Lavoie told the commissioners, likening the cell block to a city block. We’re walking a city block with no guns or night sticks. You’ve got to stay one step ahead (to avoid trouble).Trouble is rare in the county jail, however. Hawley said there are few confrontations between inmates, and he can remember only one or two assaults on staff during his years with the department. The prisoners quietly play cards, talk, read books and newspapers, or listen to their radios. There’s no TV, but if they’re good they get to watch a movie on weekends. Radio stations are limited to avoid disputes over which station to listen to. Lights go out at 10 p.m. and the wake-up call comes at 6 a.m.The prisoners are given an exercise period each day, and can choose to attend Bible groups, AA meetings, or work on their high school GED. If someone wants to turn their life around, they can, said Hawley.The jail maintains 16 to 18 staff members, with three or four on each shift. Sometimes there are only two, one in the control room and one on the floor, but that’s something Lavoie tries to avoid. The inmates are 90 percent male, but the staff is half male and half female. That can cause scheduling problems when it’s time to search prisoners, Hawley said.Meal time is a highlight for the inmates. The food is simple, but veteran food services supervisor Jean Stone makes good meals considering she has about $2 per day to spend on each prisoner.Monday’s lunch was a ham and cheese sandwich on white bread, red juice, two crackers, barley hamburger soup, and two cookies for dessert.That was good soup, said Commissioner Thorn, as the trio of county leaders finished their lunch. They chose not to stay for dinner, which was turkey gravy over dressing. “