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| County Asks Voters for $16.7 Million for Jail |
| By Cushing Daily Citizen |
| Published: 10/17/2005 |
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Payne County Commissioners will go to the residents of Oklahoma on Nov. 8 to ask for the 16.7 million needed to build and operate a new jail. According to Sallie Frazier, a member of the committee formed to look into the new jail, the county is at the point there is no choice but to build a new jail. “The county can be fined $10,000 a day if they cannot meet the requirementsÂ…” said Frazier, Thursday night at a town-hall meeting in Cushing, “If the tax is not passed inmates will have to be housed in other counties and transported between there and the jail. None of that will be included in the $10,000 a day fine. It is in the best interest of Payne County residents to pass the tax.” If passed the sales tax for the county will be increased 1/4 of 1% for a term of 15 years. The new tax would not take effect until April 1, 2006 and automatically expire on March 31, 2021. The election will also include extending an existing an 1/8 of 1% sales tax set to expire in 2010 to a permanent tax for operating cost. Cushing's current sales tax is at 9% and will increase to 91/4% if the tax is passed. One-half of 1% is county tax, 4 1/2% is state tax, and 4% is Cushing city tax. Frazier's nine-member committee, which was made up of people from all over the county, looked into places to put the jail, financing it and the number of beds needed. The committee decided since the courthouse has to be located at the county seat, adding it on to the existing courthouse was the best decision. That decision was aided with feedback from the judges who sighted the safety issues involved in transporting prisoners from off-site locations said Frazier. The committee decided that the jail would need to house 250-300 prisoners. Currently the jail, which is located in the basement of the courthouse and an annex at a former church, houses around 100 prisoners. According to Frazier, “The county has around 6000 outstanding warrants that have not been served because there is no room to house the people that would be arrested.” The new plan would be able to house enough prisoners to meet projected figures for 40 more years said Bill Knowles of BKL Inc. Architects. He says that 1.5 million of the monies asked for will go to complete the current renovation projects on the courthouse to accommodate the addition of the jail. According to Knowles the new jail would be five floors. On the first floor would be a secure loading and unloading dock for prisoners to be brought in for processing, which will also be done on the first floor. The first floor will include holding cells and a padded cell for dangerous prisoners. In the visiting room on the first floor will be a videoconference area for visits with prisoners. Knowles says this will eliminate the possibility of contraband being passed from visitors to inmates. He adds since the inmate will not come down from the holding areas it will eliminate safety problem of transport. Knolwes said the second and fourth floors would be the ground floor of two-story housing pods. The plan calls for a dayroom/dining area in the pods so the inmates will not have to be transported to eat. The only windows on the second and fourth floors will be on the east and west walls and will be one-way glass allowing ample light in. Also on the second floor will be video arraignment areas eliminating the need for prisoners to go to the courtroom. A big selling point for the new jail is there will be work areas behind the cells that would allow county workers to fix any problems with the electrical or plumbing without having to go into the secured areas. The third and fifth floors will be the second level of cells with an open area looking down on the dayroom/dining area. |
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