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| $1.4-billion proposal for Los Angeles County jails |
| By Jason Song, Los Angeles Times, LA TIMES |
| Published: 11/21/2011 |
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Los Angeles County supervisors could soon be asked to approve the county's most expensive building project ever, a $1.4-billion reconstruction and renovation of two jails, one of which has figured in allegations of inmate abuse. The officials will also have to gauge whether the potential benefits outweigh the hefty price tag, given the tough economy. Some supervisors wonder whether they may be diverting money from other vital services when cheaper jail alternatives could be considered. Law enforcement officials agree that the aging Men's Central Jail in downtown Los Angeles needs an upgrade because its antiquated layout makes it difficult for guards to watch all inmates. County Chief Executive William T Fujioka and Sheriff Lee Baca endorsed a plan to replace Men's Central Jail and add space to the Pitchess Detention Center in Castaic during a meeting last month. They said the moves would make the nation's largest jail system safer and cheaper to operate by modernizing the design. Building costs would be historically low because of the economic downturn, they added. "It's bold. It's large. But there's no better timing than now," Baca said. But some supervisors are balking at the price tag, saying it could take money away from other important programs for up to 30 years, the time needed to pay off the loans it would need to pay for the project. It would "consign the other vital services to second class status for two generations," said Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, who believes the supervisors should consider other, less costly options. Yaroslavsky said such an expensive project should be put to a public vote. "You want $1.4 billion? Put it on the ballot," he said. "Nobody wants to do that; they know what the taxpayer would do." Supervisors are scheduled to discuss the plan at a meeting later this month, where they are expected to weigh potentially cheaper alternatives, including replacing only parts of the jails or putting more less-violent prisoners on home detention. The plan would add only about 400 beds to the currently overcrowded 23,600-bed jail system. But it would increase efficiency by modernizing the design in Men's Central, supporters say. Instead of featuring long rows of cells, the jails would be rebuilt to put more beds in smaller, circular groups. Currently, dangerous or unstable inmates are sometimes housed alone in 10-bed cells. The new facilities could include almost 4,000 high-security beds for men in smaller cells, which would make it easier to isolate prisoners. The current jail layout "creates significant safety problems," Fujioka said. "It's terribly inefficient with respect to energy and operation. “click here for more information” . |
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