I would like to thank James Bell and Sheriff Phil Miller for responding to my May 1st “Letter to the Editor” in regards to the use for SPLOST funds to build a new jail. I especially want to express an additional appreciation to Sheriff Miller’s May 11th “Letter to the Editor” providing additional information in support for a new jail. I feel better informed now that the facts are being published, which draws them away from the shadows of speculation and innuendo.
As I understand the situation, based on the information supplied by Sheriff Miller, the current jail is structurally sound but lacking in infrastructure, such as kitchen, laundry and medical space, to support the current inmate load. This deficiency must be minor because it was not addressed in the $7 million Jail Annex just finished. Surely, the health and welfare of the charges would take precedence over the office space for the enforcement function, but then again, maybe not.
Sheriff Miller indicated that the inmate population has increased by about 245 beds over the last ten years. This growth is reflective of the county’s population growth during that time frame. With this in mind, we should expect the current 660 inmate bed population to grow to about 900 beds over the next ten years. This would put the jail about 100 beds short with its current capacity of 800 beds. The proposed new jail of 1500 beds would meet this 10 year growth demand and have an extra 600 beds to boot. All of the inmates would have private cells and the State would have 600 beds to rent.
According to recent articles in the Sentinel, the last Jail SPLOST lost because the new jail was to be located on the property of the current jail. Apparently, the current jail is a blight on the marketability of the Historical Downtown Douglasville area, and should be moved. The “City” even tried to get it in writing that the new jail would be moved in the Jail SPLOST proposal. Thus the story goes, the County Maintenance will take over the current jail site with its hundreds of walk- in closets; or is it to be sold to some developer to build some housing amendable to the Historical Downtown Area? The new jail is to be located adjacent to I-20, becoming the identifying beacon of Douglasville. Who knows, they could even put billboards on its sides for the advertising income.
With construction costs of $87,000 per bed, did the Governments take a serious look at all options available in meeting the jail bed demand? Is it more feasible to add onto existing facilities at a third of the cost, or is it more cost effective to start from scratch? What will be the cost to remove or adapt the old jail for an alternative function, and who pays for that? Do we keep the Jail Annex for the additional 18,000 square feet of office space, or do we sell it? Was a real feasibility study conducted, or just a private backroom agreement? Well, Mickey (Thompson) and Tom (Worthan), are you tickled or fickled? Care to comment or inform?
SPLOST has become the local governments funding drug of choice, and is being sought after with a junkie’s abandon, without proper forethought or justification. I think it is time we just say “no” to SPLOST.
Bob Stilz
Douglasville, GA
Posted by dctc 