New jail planning continues

[News Flash]

More than 1 percent of the entire U.S. population is behind bars, and more are being arrested.

Sarasota County next year begins serious planning to build a new 300-bed jail, because inmates occupy most of the existing 1,000-plus jail beds.

• About one-quarter of the people in jail today are serving a sentence for crimes.[/*:m:3v3f4wul]
• 4 percent of them are awaiting a space to open in the state prison system. [/*:m:3v3f4wul]
• The remaining three-quarters are awaiting trial, and the great majority of those are too poor to post a bond or hire a lawyer.[/*:m:3v3f4wul]

A press tour through the jail last Thursday led by senior sheriff’s officers was thorough – the women’s cells, the juvenile cells, the "adjustment cells" that used to be called "solitary confinement," the cells for the mentally ill, and the cells housing the young and old. Seventy-six percent of the inmates are "innocent until proven guilty" because they haven’t gone to trial for the charges that put them behind bars.

The number breaks down into:

• 55 percent awaiting trial[/*:m:3v3f4wul]
• 13 percent for parole violations[/*:m:3v3f4wul]
• 8 percent "held for other jurisdictions."[/*:m:3v3f4wul]

Courts Administrator Wayne Applebee estimated between 80 to 90 percent of the pre-trail inmates are indigent, cannot produce bail and are represented by the increasingly overwhelmed Public Defender’s Office.

For the past several months, a Sarasota County Criminal Justice Commission of politicians, judges, county officials and law enforcers met monthly to wrestle with the issue of a new jail. While no hard decisions have been announced, a consensus is growing on several key elements.

The most contentious issue in the past was picking a site. In the 1970s, ’80s and late ’90s, citizens rejected all proposed locations for a new jail; instead, additions were made to the existing location east of the old county courthouse between Main Street and Charles Ringling Boulevard. That has been the site of the county’s jail since 1975.

The current facility replaced the jail built in 1926 a few feet to the west in the old courthouse. This time, the justice commission is committed to putting a jail in south county. Early indications show the City of North Port may be willing to donate land for a new jail, which would reduce the total price of the project. That would locate the facility closer to the demographic center of the county.

While cost is an object, the justice commission would also like to create a 100-bed "community corrections facility" co-located with the new jail. It would serve as a rehabilitation, education and work-release center to help sentenced prisoners get a GED, cure addictions and learn a trade.

By encouraging prisoners to "correct" their behavior, the "revolving door" of out-of-jail, back-to-jail pattern could be broken.

No serious cost estimates have been released. However, Applebee noted the cost of new jails elsewhere is approximately $300 per square foot. While construction costs may be lower now, actual construction might not start for two years or more.

Although $14 million is already set aside from the local-option sales tax, the total price – using Applebee’s square-foot number – could exceed $60 million. Thus, the county must ask citizen approval for a $45 million-plus bond issue before construction can begin.

The year 2009 will see the county commissioners wrestle with three jail-related issues. The first is the ever-contentious question of where to build it. The second is deciding if they want to include the "community corrections facility." And the third is the politically risky step of going to the voters to seek bond issue approval in a time of rising unemployment, lower taxable values and hyper-attention by voters to tax rates.

Last week’s jail tour for the news media was the first step in engaging the public in these three decisions. One of the participants in the tour was Sheriff-elect Tom Knight. Sheriffs in the past "carried the freight" for new jail construction, promising dire consequences – including Federal intervention – if voters didn’t support bond referenda to build beds for prisoners.

Knight understandably didn’t jump up during the visit and "pick up the freight." He was learning and looking, like the remainder of the tour participants.

By combining him in the package, outgoing Sheriff Bill Balkwill provided a send-off and wake-up to incoming Sheriff Knight.

Source

Do what Sheriff Joe does. Put some slaps of cement down with tents on them and a large fence around the jail. Low risk offenders of course. It was cheap for the taxpayer and he creative. Jail is supposed to be hard but my elected officals need to be tax savy. Dont spend spend spend. Be creative and put aside the politics of the Sheriff position and don't worry about being sued. Tents are good for soliders and should be good for inmates who choose to go to jail. We didn't force them there, they did that themselves. Jail is supposed to be hard and if you don't like it, don't go. Sheriff Joe is a hard arse but he makes sense when it comes to making jail work. He saved taxpayer money too. What can be done in Sarasota to make a more tax savy jail Sheriff Knight? Replys welcome, thanks

Do what Sheriff Joe does. Put some slaps of cement down with tents on them and a large fence around the jail. Low risk offenders of course. It was cheap for the taxpayer and he creative. Jail is supposed to be hard but my elected officals need to be tax savy. Dont spend spend spend. Be creative and put aside the politics of the Sheriff position and don't worry about being sued. Tents are good for soliders and should be good for inmates who choose to go to jail. We didn't force them there, they did that themselves. Jail is supposed to be hard and if you don't like it, don't go. Sheriff Joe is a hard arse but he makes sense when it comes to making jail work. He saved taxpayer money too. What can be done in Sarasota to make a more tax savy jail Sheriff Knight? Replys welcome, thanks

Tent city is in AZ away from hurricanes. I'm all for the idea of the tents and saving money. The inmates have it way to easy. Maybe the reason they don't care if they come back? But one question keeps bothering me, what are we sub post to do with a 1000 inmates if a hurricane is going to hit? Can't leave them in tents? Polk county tried the tent idea and it was destroyed by heavy winds.

Do what Sheriff Joe does. Put some slaps of cement down with tents on them and a large fence around the jail. Low risk offenders of course. It was cheap for the taxpayer and he creative. Jail is supposed to be hard but my elected officals need to be tax savy. Dont spend spend spend. Be creative and put aside the politics of the Sheriff position and don't worry about being sued. Tents are good for soliders and should be good for inmates who choose to go to jail. We didn't force them there, they did that themselves. Jail is supposed to be hard and if you don't like it, don't go. Sheriff Joe is a hard arse but he makes sense when it comes to making jail work. He saved taxpayer money too. What can be done in Sarasota to make a more tax savy jail Sheriff Knight? Replys welcome, thanks

Tent city is in AZ away from hurricanes. I'm all for the idea of the tents and saving money. The inmates have it way to easy. Maybe the reason they don't care if they come back? But one question keeps bothering me, what are we sub post to do with a 1000 inmates if a hurricane is going to hit? Can't leave them in tents? Polk county tried the tent idea and it was destroyed by heavy winds.

Maybe we can make it like Gitmo, Cuba gets hurricanes.

this is a DoD photo of gitmo. maybe we can put it in the centerfield at Ed Smith stadium. :snicker: