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| Consultant praises Houston County |
| By Craig Moorhead |
| Published: 04/13/2009 |
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CALEDONIA, Minn. A federal corrections consultant gave Houston County credit for making the most of its antiquated jail, during a public meeting at Caledonia High School. “I do not know of another jail in the United States built in 1875 that is still operating, and I’ve been to at least 100 or more jails,” said James Rowenhorst of the National Institute of Corrections, an agency of the U.S. Department of Justice. According to a federal corrections official The Houston County Jail in Caledonia, built in 1875, is the oldest active Jail in the country. But he predicted the state might cut the time inmates can be held in the jail from 90 days to 72 hours if plans fall through for a new facility, which some Caledonia residents have opposed because of the proposed location. The jail “is marginal.” Rowenhorst said, “If you don’t do anything, the situation will get a lot more expensive.” “The building is clean and in good repair,” he said. “It has smoke detectors and a sprinkler system. It has good operations and is standards-compliant.” Shortfalls, however, are many, he said, including a lack of a secure perimeter, inadequate heat, lighting and booking space, no holding or close observation cells, no indoor or outdoor exercise space, no room for programs to reduce recidivism and insufficient capacity. Rowenhorst said the county has implemented a good jail-planning process, which began in 1996. Since then, he said, county officials have requested technical assistance, toured modern facilities and hired competent expertise in planning and design. Read more. If link has expired, check the website of the article's original news source. |
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