BUNCOMBE COUNTY, N.C. – Around the country, even with strict safety policies in place, COVID-19 has managed to find itself inside jails, including the Buncombe County Detention Center.

Because of this, the Buncombe County Sheriff's Office is having to think outside of the box when it comes to safety during this pandemic.

The office is utilizing a new UV light machine to clean cells in minutes at the detention center; a room is disinfected of germs and viruses like COVID-19. For every 1,000 square feet, it takes the machine seven minutes to kill 99.9% of bacteria.

Sheriff Quentin Miller says this gives them the ability to be more efficient with their cleaning.

The machine uses UV light – UV-C specifically – to kill all living bacteria on surfaces and in the air.

"We think about our detention cells and we're able to go in there and run this machine and be done in about five minutes," Miller says.

The UV technology costs $36,000, but the sheriff says there’s no price too high to pay to save a life.

"It gives a peace of mind to the families of people who are incarcerated here in our facility," the sheriff says. "That we’re gonna do everything we can to keep them safe.”

He didn't hesitate to purchase the life-saving machine.

"When I start thinking about a cost, you know, what price do we put on a person's life," Miller says. "And we see that COVID has taken so many lives that I just think it’s the thing to do.”

The device is just one of the many steps the sheriff's office has taken to keep people safe.

The office also added a tent outside to keep processing safer and distant. Additionally, they use a temperature-checking machine, where you step up and it scans your face letting you know if you’ve passed or failed, rather than having staff scan foreheads.

There’s also a designated bay for COVID-positive clients.

While they’ve had some positive cases, Miller says they’ve been fortunate to not have an outbreak in the 604-bed facility.

"It goes back to us being compassionate, goes back to us, you know, making a commitment to keep people safe and to treat people with dignity and respect," he says.

He says the UV light machine will stick around long after the pandemic ends.

They also have plans to use it inside courtrooms once hearings proceed.