4/11/1985 - Laserfiche WebLink

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APR 111985 BooK 60 PnF 552 anything additional for even more jail facilities between now and the time the new jail is completed. He did agree that we can have a "Fast Track". Committee or something of that type, plus an expanded work release program, etc., to alleviate the situation, but he could not see spending a lot of money in building another facility out at the new jail site right next to a jail we don't even have yet. He noted that the Marine Corps and Army use tents and didn't see why something of that sort wouldn't suffice for temporary housing. He emphasized that we have put forth a good effort, but the state is not meeting their responsibility in providing the jail system for the felons, and they are not giving us any dollars for our facilities. Commissioner Scurlock agreed that saying we are going to get some chicken wire and some dogs and fence in the prisoners undoubtedly would be the most popular approach, but he believed we always talked about eventually providing a minimum security facility and possibly we should take that step now as it seems we will need something more permanent. Chairman Lyons noted that when the projections for jail space were made in 1982, no one foresaw the dramatic increase in crime on which Judge Smith reported today. The sentencing guidelines changed, and crime exploded. Commissioner Wodtke continued to point out the unfairness of the new sentencing guidelines which puts the burden on the counties, and Administrator Wright noted that the counties always have been the stepchild. He felt realistically we must face this and expand our facility and employees, especially since we almost had a 19 year old hang himself in the jail two weeks ago because we didn't have the proper place to put him. We were just lucky that we caught him in time. Commissioner Wodtke believed such a situation could occur whether we have extra beds or not. 12