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Show SOUTHERN UTAH NEWS WEDNESDAY JULY 23. 1999 By Dixie Brunner This is Part II of a series on Kane Countys Jail problem. Kane County has several options when addressing the com- them time to observe how T Garfield County does with their new public safety facility. Con - There are some serious i things wrong at the current fa- t i plex public safety issue. They cility. Liability and safety are can expand and update the ex- the key issues, says Kane isting facility, send back the con- County Jail Supervisor Boon tract state inmates to free up Robertson. We are legally remore beds, build a 40, 100 or 200 sponsible for maintaining a jail. bed building, or And its our job to let people do nothing. While all options know how its operating, and have been debated and explored what liability issues are facing to some extent, all have good the county. and bad points. Another question is how long The issue has always been con- the state or countys risk mantroversial. People have a gen- agement carrier would allow the eral dislike of providing for pris- jail to remain open, before reoners. They feel a person who ducing it to a 24 hour holding breaks the law and is incarcer- facility, with additional costs for ated, does not deserve muph. sending inmates to other county Little sympathy is generated jails. As an aside, this would when the Sheriffs office reports also require that Kanab City in that some inmates had to sleep addition to all other Kane on the floor due to overcrowd- County communities, would have to contract for their own ing. Do nothing, and accept the jail inmates. Will lose a $500,000 federal Inmates are placed in the above holding area before being booked into jail. There are no floor drains in the holding liability risk. Pro This approach could allow grant secured by Officer Dan cell, a place typically used for drunks who often become sick. Kane County to see how the Watson, to be used for jail imMonument affects county law provement. back, freeing up valuable jail would vary with the number of liklihood that taxes would go up enforcement. It would also give to pay for the facility. Send the state inmates space for local inmates. county inmates. lose Shulsen estimates that cost of Pro More space finally! Will grant money. Robertson said this option would Remodel current facility. this facility (with county adminincrease the countys jail space Pro Remodeling the current istration) would be $3,520,000. by six. He adds that due to the facility could be done and the Annual county revenues would buildings poor design, many of grant money could be utilized. be $350,000, with net annual the same logistics problems Con - Ideally, a jail should not county costs being $890,000 would remain. be located directly across the Build a larger building, alCon Revenue loss, increasing street from an elementary lowing state inmate revenue the odds of tax increases for school. to offset costs. The whole county taxpayers. State inmates, thing about the jail, Pro -- .Contract with the state to as well as all contract inmates, is just like the hospital, said get more inmates. The state (inmates from outside of our Robertson. To bring it up to stan- would reimburse the county, dards would be more costly than with the revenue offsetting county), provide sorely-neede- d For revenue. the instance, jail building a new facility. building and operation costs, state reimburses the county at Expansion is limited based on minimizing the impact on Kane $38.00 per inmate day plus medi- available space, and could be County taxpayers. Could utilize cal costs and clothing. Out of faced again in the near future, grant money. area jurisdictions, such as depending on needs. A larger facility would provide Coconino County, Bureau of InBuild a new 40 bed facility. more local jobs. dian Affairs, Mohave County, Pro - Problems and liabilities Con - State inmates cannot be Fredonia and Colorado City pay could be addressed with a new guaranteed at this time. from $30-$4- 5 per inmate day. building. A more efficient pod People fear the negative (real for could maxiestimates this be to utilized or Preliminary design imagined) impact c fjtvirga inmize safety. Could utilize grant' large prison facility here;- - hev option based on ten county run in to are concerned that visiting famiInmate visitors are a major concern people the community opposing a mates, approximately money. to addition the Con Cost. New buildings cost lies could have a negative imlarger public safety facility. Pictured above is the visiting area at the Kane $315,000 cost, in current jail budget. This figure money. There woyld be a pact on the community. County Jail. free-standi- ng . xxv Country Living Elder Care. residential elder care center located in Country living ElderCare is a quality one the quality care they deserve n loved Fredonia. 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