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| MO turns a blind eye to private jails |
| By stltoday.com/ |
| Published: 05/06/2009 |
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Show-Me State turns a blind eye to private jails At last, Missouri has become an outsourcing destination, but not for any special technical expertise. Rather it's because the state has developed a Third World system for operators of private jails who can operate any way they want. The system needs to be fixed, and Missouri lawmakers are pretending to do just that. But their "reform" bill actually would perpetuate the problem. The state has two private jail facilities: the Bridewell Detention Center in Bethany in northwest Missouri and the Integrity Correctional Center in rural Johnson County, not far from Warrensburg. Private operators house inmates under contract from states across the Midwest. For at least two decades, entrepreneurs have operated jails and prisons in many states, arguing that they can do it better and cheaper than state departments of corrections. Alas, the magic of the marketplace may not be sufficient to keep prisoners behind bars or ensure that they're properly treated. Last September, two Kansas inmates escaped from the Integrity Center. Both were awaiting trial in Kansas City, Kan.; one for assaulting a police officer, and the other for aggravated robbery. The Johnson County sheriff's office was not informed for at least eight hours; area residents weren't informed for hours after that. It turns out, state Sen. David Pearce, R-Warrensburg, sponsor of Senate Bill 44, the supposed reform bill, said that "it's not a crime to escape from a private jail." Mr. Pearce's bill would make it a felony to escape or attempt to escape from a private jail. It also would require private jail operators to promptly notify local authorities and the state highway patrol of an escape or if a crime is committed in their facilities. Excellent ideas. In fact, we're surprised that in their rush to allow private operators to open jails in Missouri, the Legislature didn't bother to write those provisions into the law in the first place. The larger problem is that the bill doesn't do much else. Private jail operators still will be allowed to operate free of state regulations. No standards govern treatment and care of prisoners. Nothing in state law prescribes the level of security that must be in place to house dangerous criminals. There's no certification requirement, mandatory training of employees, inspection regimen, guidance or other form of state oversight. Even if a prisoner escapes and local law enforcement agencies aren't notified, the steepest penalty that could be imposed is a $1,000 fine, and only when the failure is "willful." The bill also would require the jailers to "arrange for necessary health care services for persons confined in a private jail," to segregate prisoners according to gender and to provide them with "adequate clothing, food and bedding."Read more. If link has expired, check the website of the article's original news source. |
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