Kern: Adding jail cells makes sense
By Michele Linck | Posted: Tuesday, January 13, 2009
DAKOTA CITY -- Jail Administrator Terry Kern told the Dakota County commissioners Monday it is time to think about building a second pod of cells onto the new jail and that the county should consider making it part of a regional jail.
With the commissioners convened as the Board of Corrections, Kern told them the new jail is at 80 percent of capacity, which is essentially full, because various types of prisoners cannot be housed together. He reported the old jail, which is used to house mostly prisoners who don't need to go to court, is running at 60 percent occupancy.
Outside the meeting, Kern said the old jail on the second floor of the courthouse has passed its useful lifespan of 30 years. That fact and the county's lucrative contracts to provide cells for federal agencies indicate it's time to consider expanding the new jail, he said.
Kern said he will meet soon with the old Citizens for a New Jail Committee, which helped pass a sales tax to pay for the new jail, and has talked with business owners about expanding the jail. The facility was designed to accommodate another "pod" of cells without adding another security console or kitchen.
Business owners he has spoken with favor the expansion, Kern said. He said he held out little hope citizens would pass a bond issue in the current economic climate, but said a lease-purchase agreement would make sense.
Kern cited the contracts with the U.S. Marshal Service -- which was billed more than $1 million in 2008 for housing its prisoners at the jail, and a pending agreement with Immigration Control and Enforcement and other agencies, as reasons for expanding the jail. He said the county has nearly maxed out the income it can get from the Marshal's Service with the current jail.
And, Dixon and Thurston counties have old jails. "Why not think about a regional jail?" he said, explaining that it could be incorporated into an expanded Dakota County Jail.
With the commissioners convened as the Board of Corrections, Kern told them the new jail is at 80 percent of capacity, which is essentially full, because various types of prisoners cannot be housed together. He reported the old jail, which is used to house mostly prisoners who don't need to go to court, is running at 60 percent occupancy.
Outside the meeting, Kern said the old jail on the second floor of the courthouse has passed its useful lifespan of 30 years. That fact and the county's lucrative contracts to provide cells for federal agencies indicate it's time to consider expanding the new jail, he said.
Kern said he will meet soon with the old Citizens for a New Jail Committee, which helped pass a sales tax to pay for the new jail, and has talked with business owners about expanding the jail. The facility was designed to accommodate another "pod" of cells without adding another security console or kitchen.
Business owners he has spoken with favor the expansion, Kern said. He said he held out little hope citizens would pass a bond issue in the current economic climate, but said a lease-purchase agreement would make sense.
Kern cited the contracts with the U.S. Marshal Service -- which was billed more than $1 million in 2008 for housing its prisoners at the jail, and a pending agreement with Immigration Control and Enforcement and other agencies, as reasons for expanding the jail. He said the county has nearly maxed out the income it can get from the Marshal's Service with the current jail.
And, Dixon and Thurston counties have old jails. "Why not think about a regional jail?" he said, explaining that it could be incorporated into an expanded Dakota County Jail.
Story Comments
Read More and Post Comments 0 comment(s)
Please note: The following are comments from readers. In no way do they represent the views of The Sioux City Journal or Lee Enterprises. We will not edit or alter your comments, but we do reserve the right to not post or to remove comments that violate our code of conduct. No comment may contain potentially libelous statements; obscene, explicit or racist language; personal attacks, insults or threats. Terms of Service
