Agenda 8-a - Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 22 Jamie Sykes said yes, and he has seen it as high as 192 about 12 -15 years ago. A Deputy said he remembers the number being as high as 210, but that was prior to measures being put in place to bring numbers down. Jamie Sykes said he also remembers the total being 18. Commissioner Rich asked if clarification could be given about the classifications: how many cells would be for men and women, etc. Jamie Sykes said there are many classifications, which will be discussed more during the design phase. He said there may be juvenile detainees, who must be kept separate; Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA), with which the County cannot currently comply; violent offenders; pretrial detainees; higher risk inmates, etc. He said how this plays out in the design phase will fall under certain state and federal guidelines. Commissioner Rich asked if the classifications could interfere with how many inmates can be housed, due to having too many inmates of one particular classification. Jamie Sykes said if it is not fully considered during the design phase, or the flexibility of the building itself prevents staff from being able to do accommodate classifications, then yes, it could be a problem. He said there are many options from a design standpoint that should be able to prevent this being a problem. Commissioner Burroughs clarified that 136 inmates would save 8 beds and $200,000. Chair Dorosin said he would be interested in an amount smaller than the 136- inmate capacity, and these studies do not take into account other factors such as diversionary programming, raising the minimum age, thus removing 16 and 17 year old from the adult system, as well as other changes. He said he would like to go as low as 120 beds, and this is an opportunity to reflect the policy efforts, that have been made, in the construction of this facility. Commissioner Rich said it will be more costly to build on later, and she is comfortable with 136 and 144 beds. Chair Dorosin said there are policy considerations, and this Board and this community are interested in looking at other alternatives to incarceration. He said the fiscal side is one thing, but the extra beds are a disincentive to all the work being done by stakeholders in the field of restorative justice, and are an incentive to take on more federal prisoners. He said this prison could reflect this community's commitment to alternative practices for the next 100 years. Commissioner Marcoplos said it would be a big mistake to put money in a facility and run out of space before the building is very old. He said in terms of reflecting the Board and local values, how the County deals with people that run afoul of the law should be rooted in the County's belief system and not the availability of cells. He said keeping people out of jail should not be motivated by a lack of space, but rather because the County believes in a system that rehabilitates and steers people back into productive life. Chair Dorosin said keeping the jail is not a backhanded way to keep people out of jail, but rather is a reflection of the local values. Commissioner Marcoplos said extending the life of the building is the most financially responsible thing to do, and continue to use the community's authentic philosophy to keep people out of it. But at least the building would last. He said he is leaning toward the 144 capacities, erring on the side of more capacity now while it is cost effective to do so. He said he does not see this number being at all incompatible with local values. Commissioner Price said she is more in line with Chair Dorosin's thinking, and would prefer to get treatment for people rather than lock them up. She said she prefers a capacity of 136 or 128. Commissioner Jacobs said he is thinking about Southern Human Services Center, which opened 20 years ago, and the Board at that time chose not to include a dental clinic in order to save money. He said the current Board is now planning to add a dental clinic, which