OCR Text |
Show Deputy explains need for jail Dear Editor: I have served as Chief Deputy to Sheriff Brant L. Johnson since 1981 . Prior to that time I had 30 years experience serving local and federal law enforcement agencies across the United States. No matter the jurisdiction, jails were and are a serious and unrelenting social problem. The courts dictate standards and fill jails to capacity; taxpayers want criminals off the streets but cringe at the cost of the burden; and corrections officers are in battles of wit with inmates to maintain order within the walls of confinement, a complex problem with no simple solution. Jail standards recommend a population of not more than 80 percent capacity to allow for isolation, segregation, and classification classifi-cation of prisoners. Hygiene, exercise and some recreation to overcome unrest are essential. Davis County is growing, and growing fast. The jail is a statutory responsibility to the sheriff. Let there be no misunderstanding, misunder-standing, the law dictates that we have a county jail and the county commission will find a way to fund it. The question that we, the citizens of Davis County, must decide is what we will build and how we will fund it. Seven years ago, we housed an average of 75 to 80 prisoners per day and would peak on weekends to 90-100 prisoners. We now average approximately 1 16 prisoners and often peak at 150 prisoners. During August 1987, we averaged 125 prisoners per day. The jail was designed to house a maximum of 108 prisoners. prison-ers. Instead of being at 80 percent capacity, we are at 120 percent on the average, and 150 percent on many occasions. Where will we be in five years and ten years if we do not face the problem now. The health situation was so dangerous we made the jail a "No Smoking" building. We have people sleeping in every available location. The core facility of the laundry, kitchen, and booking area are stressed beyond design and capabilities. The kitchen prepares at least 10,500 meals per month and sometimes as many as 450 per day in a kitchen designed to serve not more than 300 per day. Our medical costs have gone beyond our wildest expectations. The stress on the prisoners and correctional people peo-ple is pushed to the limit. We will solve the problem either by design or court order, the burden will not disappear. The present jail is simply not big enough to serve the county. We are restructuring our building to accommodate 44 more beds by moving the sheriffs office and vacating the space adjacent to the jail; however, with the proposed additional space, the jail will be filled almost to bed capacity. The only answer is a new facility large enough to solve our present demands, but located in an area where the facility can accommodate future growth. We are not working for a presumptive jail, we are working for an adequate one. The tax issue is certainly a valid one and I am as antagonistic toward wasteful government as anyone; however, I believe that frugal responsible government is essential to the welfare of our way of life. Public safety is a service the taxpayer pays for and is entitled to. The alternative to not having an adequate jail facility will probably result in expensive law suits, expensive operations, opera-tions, turnover in personnel, unacceptable living conditions of incarceration, medical costs, and people on the street who should be in jail. The sheriff and county commissioners, after many hours of study, have determined that funding by general obligation bond is the least expensive to the taxpayer and the most desirable means. The bond requires public approval and will be on the November ballot. The facility design that is being considered will probably meet our needs over the next 15-20 years. I sincerely sin-cerely encourage my fellow citizens to carefully examine this issue based on facts and not emotion, prior to voting. This is one problem that is not going to go away it will only get bigger and worse. Harry V. Jones Chief Deputy Davis County Sheriffs Office 4 |