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| Iowa Jail Task Force Hears Problems |
| By Iowa City Press-Citizen |
| Published: 10/14/2002 |
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Members of the Jail Space & Service Task Force learned recently about the long list of variables they would have to consider when deciding what suggestions to make to alleviate jail crowding and costs. 'If you want to alleviate jail problems, you really have to commit to doing them,' said Richard Klausner, a defense attorney who oversees the Johnson County Public Defender's Office. He cautioned, however, that some of the alternative solutions would sound lax to the public. Klausner was one of six officials who work within the judicial system to meet with the group Wednesday to explain alternatives already in use. The recently-formed task force is grappling with the jail's future after voters overwhelming defeated a November 2000 bond issue that would have generated $19 million to build a new 255-bed jail. The existing jail on South Capitol Street has a capacity of 92 inmates. Panelists told the task force that several alternatives to incarceration were possible if only funding were available. For now, the task force will have to consider a number of variables when assessing jail problems, such as: changes to county population, housing costs, deputy time, costs to run educational treatment programs, fuel and vehicle costs, and designs for potential facilities. The task force met at the Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, 123 E. Market St. It was the group's second meeting. Members will convene monthly at various locations to gather information before making recommendations to county supervisors in April. Discussion Wednesday focused on space needs and costs, taken in context with public safety goals. Task force members considered making changes to the electronic monitoring program for work release inmates or the in-house detention program, and reassessing how inmates were classified or charged. 'The system is broke,' task force chairman Dick Gibson said, adding that people in charge within the system need to be willing to make changes to how things are done. The county is paying a daily $60-per-inmate fee to house the overflow jail population in Linn County; about $10 is spent each time inmates are brought back for a court proceeding. From July to December 2001, the county spent $172,765 transporting and housing inmates in Linn County and costs and the jail population are expected to increase. County Budget Coordinator Jeff Horne presented statistics forecasting what it would cost the county through 2020 if a new 220-bed jail was built and no changes were made in procedure. The county budget for fiscal year 2003 is more than $2 million. Assuming a 5 percent annual increase in operation costs, Johnson County's total jail bill would near $5 million in 2010 and top $8 million in 2020. The task force asked Horne to gather projections that were more in line with their goals based on how other counties deal with alternatives to incarceration compared to Johnson County. |
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