Editorial

Time to face up to jail issue

Thursday, April 15, 2004

After a number of studies and years of discussion, the Red Willow County Commissioners have decided it's time to face up to the jail issue.

And, so -- at this week's meeting -- the commissioners created a jail task force to look at the facts and come up with a recommendation.

It's time to decide. For a number of years, the county has been shelling out money to transport prisoners to jails in other towns. Is this smart? Or, would it be better, and more cost effective, to build a new jail facility in McCook?

Those are the questions the jail task force will need to answer. With the number of offenders on the increase, it will become more and more costly to transport prisoners to other towns. But it will also be costly to build a jail, with a 10- to 20- year bond payout probable if the jail project goes forward.

The task force can be of considerable value in helping the county residents decide what's the best course of action. That's especially true when it comes to determining need and financing options.

The jail can also be looked at as an economic development opportunity. It will create jobs, as around-the-clock staffing will be required.

And, there's a chance that part of the jail could be rented out to other counties or the federal government. Akron in eastern Colorado does this, generating $6,000 a day in jail rental income. In a year's time, that could amount to more than $2 million.

One of the key considerations is the cost of the jail facility. The commissioners have already set aside $613,000 for the project, but it will take quite a bit more than that to build a facility that meets modern jail standards.

In a bond issue analysis by a financial consultant, Bradley Bare of Lincoln, the figure $5 million is used to determine the impact on taxpayers. In that analysis, Bare projects a bond levy of $0.1051 if the project is paid over 10 years and $0.0669 if paid over 20 years.

Lots to think about. Lots to decide. By creating the task force, the county commissioners have taken an important step in bringing the jail issue to a conclusion. We look forward to hearing the jail panel's recommendations.

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