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IN, 0V S W7 BOOK 70 FAGE 0 <br />county feels that their rule making has gone overboard because <br />the conditions they are mandating for our prisoners far exceed <br />what is acceptable, and that we be allowed the flexibility in <br />certain requirements such as square footage and certified vs. <br />non -certified supervision of prisoners. From the response he <br />has received from the community, Chairman Scurlock believed we <br />really need to take the position that enough is enough, and that <br />it would be nice to go on record that we disagree with their <br />rules on noise levels, staffing, and all the other stuff that <br />they have mandated. He pointed out that these mandates have <br />resulted in this county spending almost 420 of its general fund <br />on law enforcement related activities. Chairman Scurlock felt it <br />was ridiculous for the State to tell us that prisoners cannot <br />be housed in our brand new facility under similar situations to <br />those experienced by American fighting men who have had to live <br />in tents and eat K -rations. <br />Commissioner Wheeler felt that to follow through with these <br />mandates is the most frustrating part of being a county <br />Commissioner, and he believed the problem goes back to the <br />sentencing guidelines which dumps more and more state prisoners <br />into the county system; the state sues the county systems when <br />they cannot meet the demand; and the judges, under court orders <br />form fast track committees to release and parole prisoners early. <br />At that point the system not only starts to break down, but it <br />costs more money to put them through the system again and again. <br />Commissioner Bird wondered whether we were going high enough <br />by sending our objections to the State; perhaps we should send <br />them to the federal government. <br />Attorney Vitunac explained that when the federal government <br />took action against the State, the State promised to adopt these <br />rules in order to get out of the suit. Part of that settlement <br />is that the State would enforce these rules against the local <br />jurisdictions, which is us. The State is doing that as nicely as <br />they can in order to give us time. This county has been under <br />28 <br />