Laserfiche WebLink
41 <br />M s M <br />at one time, but those conditions don't exist in our new jail, <br />and he had a problem with spending thousands of dollars to send <br />25 prisoners to Okeechobee County and then still be 20 over the <br />limit so we are still in violation of the Order. Commissioner <br />Wheeler continued to stress that this is a bandaid that will not <br />solve the problem, and it will cost a great deal of money. The <br />Judge doesn't like this - the prosecutor doesn't like it - and <br />the public doesn't like it. So, he felt the question is should <br />we send them. <br />Commissioner Eggert believed there are certain felons that <br />are non-violent and could be mixed with the misdemeanants. <br />Commissioner Bird asked what the alternatives are and what <br />would happen if we told the state we are spending millions <br />already, we can't spend any more, and they will have to be <br />patient and wait for us to open Phase Ill. <br />Attorney Barkett informed the Board that the state can take <br />over the jail and just present us with the bill. That did happen <br />in Alabama where the federal court actually became the custodian <br />of the entire state prison system. <br />Discussion continued at length, and the Administrator found <br />it hard to believe that the taxpayers of this county are going to <br />be looking at another 5 million dollars in jail costs just <br />because some crack cocaine dealer is too good to sleep on a <br />mattress on the floor. <br />Commissioner Bird asked about the possibility of creating <br />more work -release type programs where the prisoners can go home <br />at night and report for work every day. <br />Commissioner Wheeler advised that we are already doing that. <br />We have set up a county supported probationtype department, and <br />we have people under house arrest. We also are exploring the <br />possibility of an electronic surveillance for the non-violent, <br />but the problem we have is that about 70-800 of the offenders in <br />our jail are felons. <br />59 <br />0 1987 BOOK 69 PAGE 6V <br />