Topic: Special jail Report to Pulaski County Commission

[Sheriff J. B. King]

March 22, 2009
Special Report to the Pulaski County Commission
A New Pulaski County Jail

Gentlemen of the Pulaski County Commission, it has come to my attention that the property known as the “Jim’s Supermarket complex” which is located right across the street from the Pulaski County Courthouse will open for sale later this year. A better location for a new Pulaski County Jail could not be found.

As we all know by Missouri statute the county jail must be located within the seat of government for the county. The only exception would be the regional jail statute where two or more counties build a joint jail at a location they select. Since every county that surrounds us except Maries County has passed a sales tax or bond issue and has already built a new jail the regional concept would probably not work for us. Therefore our only option would be to accept the challenge alone.

At present we normally have 60-65 inmates on our jail list every day. We can only house 30 of them here in our jail. The others are sent to other jails such as the Dixon City Jail and the Miller or Phelps County Jails. Our daily payment to house inmates is $35.00 per day per inmate. Rather than speculate as to what this cost would be each day I will simply cite the exact yearly payment for the last eight years that we have already paid out to other jails.

                     Inmate Board Bill for Pulaski County
1. Year 2001       $246,816.00
2. Year 2002       $244,324.00
3. Year 2003       $344,741.00
4. Year 2004       $363,656.00
5. Year 2005       $242,392.00
6. Year 2006       $379,023.00
7. Year 2007       $357,770.00
8. Year 2008       $419,426.00

Over the past eight years the taxpayers of Pulaski County have paid out $2,598,148.00 for inmate board to other agencies to house our inmates. And that is only part of the cost involved. The round trip to the Miller County Jail for example is 74.8 miles of gasoline expense and deputy salary time. We usually make the trip at least four times each week. The bottom line here is that the Pulaski County taxpayers fund a lot of extra expense because we do not have our own full capacity county jail.

The future of Pulaski County should be one of continued growth due to the presence of Ft. Wood and the local desire to bring in additional industry. Therefore the crime rate will continue to increase and the demand for more jail space will increase. Over the past several years the calls for service received by the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office have greatly increased. While not every call leads to a criminal case the sheer increase in the numbers gives a clear indication of the potential need the future could bring.
   

			Calls for Service Count
Year		Number
2004		3,910
2005		5,114
2006		7,212
2007		9,226
2008		10,593

At this time the Ft. Wood authorities must house inmates in their custody at Ft. Knox Kentucky or Ft. Leavenworth Kansas while they await trial on military charges. Surely we could take advantage of the special interest Rep. Ike Skelton has in our county and work out some type of inmate housing agreement for military detainees in a new Pulaski County Jail that was built to federal specifications. For that matter since the Deputies of the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office are the first line of defense surrounding Ft. Wood their may well be other forms of special assistance that the federal government could offer to us as another way to bolster the security of Ft. Wood. This would clearly be an avenue of interest to pursue.

At this time there are several major jail construction companies that have indicated an interest to me at our Missouri Sheriff’s Conferences in building a new jail here in Pulaski County. Each company has stressed the fact that a new jail is a two or three year project. Each company has stressed the fact that the cost of building materials continues to rise and a delay of several years in starting a new project will only serve to increase the final cost. Each company has stressed the fact that a no frills practical jail facility could be constructed at a reasonable cost.

With the current political attitude in Washington DC that federal dollars must be pumped into the state and local governmental entities to jump start the economy we should be able to find grants and other programs such as low cost infrastructure loans that could assist Pulaski County in the construction of a new jail.

The time has come for the members of the Pulaski County Commission to step forward and begin the process that will end with a new Pulaski County jail. You are the only people who can make this new jail appear on the courthouse square. The future will only bring increased expense and the need for more jail space.

Pulaski County Sheriff J. B. King

[ex-ed]

JB,
You gave us figures for the inmate care outlay -- $2,598,148 over 8 years: Is that the net outlay (total cost minus the state reimbursement)?  If not, what is the net cost for those 8 years?

[Sheriff J. B. King]

Sorry but I do not always get the cost sent back by the state. So the figure is what we paid. There will be an income figure back to us from the state and the "net" diff between the two I cannot say right now. I will however try to find that info.
JB

[ex-ed]

Thanks, JB. I'm not trying to nit-pick; I support your proposition 100 percent. But the commishs will ask and will try to make you look foolish for not telling the whole story.

[Sheriff J. B. King]

Thank You Sir, but I am a simple guy. If we had NOT spent the $419,426.00 in 2008 with the other counties and then we GOT back say $340,000.00 from the state per diem would we not be better off?
 
 JB

[GlennA]

We need a new jail,  that is the bottom line.    Almost everyone in the county knows that,  they just don't want to let go of the money.    With a new jail the county could realistically make money.

[matrsnot]

I guess when the money finally comes from the state, it goes back to General Revenue and not to the Sheriff?  Is that the case?

[Vado Del Rio]

Correct me if I'm wrong Sheriff, but I believe we only get back state reimbursement when the criminal is actually "convicted" and sent to DOC.  If this is true, who pays for all the cases that are reduced to time served, blown due to incompetence, plead to a misdemeanor, or just not filed upon?  Moreover, who pays for all these enormous medical costs?  I believe to good citizens of Pulaski do.................

With a large jail facility built to federal specifications, other agencies would in fact be subsidizing the entire operation.  Right now the only option is to have the Pulaski citizen eat the "entire" costs as outlined above.  Most would be very irate if they actually knew the total non-reimbursed costs to house this human debris. 
 
Will we continue to borrow more money from the courthouse maintenance fund when the prison board bill comes due this fall?  How much are we in the hole right now?  Has the commission made any predictions for the prison board deficit for next fiscal year?  I haven't heard a peep..........................

Most of us realize nothing will be done.  We realize it's impossible to accomplish anything meaningful when select commission members stick to the grueling 4 hour work week schedule.
 
Eventually the good citizens of Pulaski will get sick of being bent over each "fiscal" year.

[cowboy]

Thank You Sir, but I am a simple guy. If we had NOT spent the $419,426.00 in 2008 with the other counties and then we GOT back say $340,000.00 from the state per diem would we not be better off?
 
 JB

If we had not spent the $419,426 in 2008 where would it have gone?

[Yankee Trader]

If we had not spent the $419,426 in 2008 where would it have gone?

I believe the key is that our money went to other counties when it could stay right here in Pulaski County. 

[cowboy]

So you DO understand that the majority of this money does not represent a savings

[oldcowpoke]

So you DO understand that the majority of this money does not represent a savings

Of course it represents a savings. Use your head. It represents funds available for other purposes such as more jailers. It represents money staying in Pulaski County and being spent in our own economy instead of Phelps or Miller county.

[cowboy]

Ok What is the savings?

[oldcowpoke]

Ok What is the savings?

It makes that $419,426.00 available for other purposes such as more jailers. Do you think we should stuff it down in the toe of our socks and SAVE it for a rainy day?

It represents money staying in Pulaski County and being spent in our own economy instead of Phelps or Miller county.

[cowboy]

So you assume that if we house the inmates here there is no cost?  Thats the problem thast they way this has been presented but the reality is if they are housed here they do cost money so there goes most of the savings. 

If this is all savings then there is a simple answer issue bonds, to build a jail, that are paid out of this savings and you won't need a tax.  How many do you want?

[msheek]

First there would be the savings of about seven dollars a day from what it cost us to house an inmate compared to what it cost to have them housed somewhere else. 

Then you have the almost 70 miles to and from Phelps and back in time, gas, wear and tear on the transport vans or cars.

The over 70 mile round trip to Miller county facility that takes 2 hours to make the trip due to road conditions, plus the officer time, gasoline, wear and tear on vehicles.

If we house 30 inmates a day in another faciltiy 365 that is that is already costing us around 76,000.00 extra just in the extra cost of housing them compared to housing them here.  Now add in the vehicle cost, the extra time we have deputys transporting, the gasoline and all the other costs that go with that and it adds up to quite a bit more. 

Even better, if we just don't pay other counties and keep the cost the same there is a few more jobs in our county that someone could have and not have to be on unemployment. 

We might not save a lot at first, however we would for sure be in better shape not trying to make room all the time in our jail and running to go get prisoners for court, then taking then right back, but I feel we would save money in the long run.

Ok What is the savings?
So you assume that if we house the inmates here there is no cost?  Thats the problem thast they way this has been presented but the reality is if they are housed here they do cost money so there goes most of the savings. 

If this is all savings then there is a simple answer issue bonds, to build a jail, that are paid out of this savings and you won't need a tax.  How many do you want

[ex-ed]

So you assume that if we house the inmates here there is no cost?  Thats the problem thast they way this has been presented but the reality is if they are housed here they do cost money so there goes most of the savings. 

If this is all savings then there is a simple answer issue bonds, to build a jail, that are paid out of this savings and you won't need a tax.  How many do you want?

There would also be other savings -- and profits from a new jail. Msheek has listed some of the other savings, but the county could also make money on the deal by housing federal prisoners from the Fort and other jurisdictions. He also makes a very good point in that a new local jail would keep more Pulaski County residents working and PC dollars circulating within the county, benefitting retail outlets in the county and providing more taxes to support local government.
 
It's a win-win deal.
 
As a bonus, a new jail would also free up space in the PC courthouse, space that might be used for a state vehicle/driver licensing office, run by the county, that would also bring in more revenue. Using county office space for this endeavor would increase profits by reducing the $$ that now go out for rent of the current facility.
 
Think of the possibilities, folks. Less money flowing out of the county, more money flowing in. Who wants to turn their backs on that proposition?
 
Well, maybe a couple of nameless grumpy old buzzards in the courthouse who don't want to be caught dead doing anything that might favor the local sheriff.

[msheek]

Ex Ed made a very ggod point about freeing up the space so if teh county decided to bid on the DOR office then the old jail possibly could be used as an open space for that.  If nothing else the freed up space could be used as more office space for deputies and interviewing rooms.  There are many reasons to try and get a new jail and even though there will be some cost, why not spend our money back in our own county rather then keep giving it away to others. 

There is alot of money and time wasted taking prisoners back and forth, even if its just 100 dollars worth of gasoline a week, thats another 5,200.00 a year, then there is the oil changes, tires, and every thing else that goes along with that.

Then the liability of having prisoners on the road all the time, many times several with one officer, there is just to much at stake hauling prisoners that much when we are already broke and could save money, or put the money back into our own community.  You would think Ransdal of all people would want that 400,000.00 a year at least right back into our community where it could go into our local retailers.

[whatsnew]

Most would be very irate if they actually knew the total non-reimbursed costs to house this human debris. 
 
Is this the human debris that are presumed innocent until found guilty in the good ole USA?

[Sheriff J. B. King]

Most would be very irate if they actually knew the total non-reimbursed costs to house this human debris. 
 
Is this the human debris that are presumed innocent until found guilty in the good ole USA?

   Many people around here have a damn them attitude toward the inmates. I have actually taken heat for my stance that the inmates are U. S. citizens who are accused of a crime and who are NOT convicted felons. The level of care and basic rights are much greater for those who have not yet been found guilty.

Yes it would cost money to house them out side of the county. Yes it would cost money to house them in a new jail.

          JB

[whatsnew]

Thats a good way to put it JB.. Some people really are wrngfully accused.. And it comes out in court.. We are supposed to be a civilized country with a basic freedom. It just irks me sometimes when coments are made.
As a citizen you hear stories every day...someone did this..someone did that.. When SOMETIMES you "KNOW" that person didnt do it because you knew where they were..Yet people would rather "assume" they did..

[Valor7]

Thats a good way to put it JB.. Some people really are wrngfully accused.. And it comes out in court.. We are supposed to be a civilized country with a basic freedom. It just irks me sometimes when coments are made.
As a citizen you hear stories every day...someone did this..someone did that.. When SOMETIMES you "KNOW" that person didnt do it because you knew where they were..Yet people would rather "assume" they did..

The voice of experience. I have people in the jail right now that will walk on their charges. Maybe only one or even two at the most at any given time but over a year's time it adds up so we need to have some compassion for the inmates. After all what if I would finally blow up under the pressure and shoot a commissioner? I would like decent care in my jail.

       JB

[Valor7]

And before anyone makes snide remarks yes, that was humor early in the morning.

[Seeg]

And before anyone makes snide remarks yes, that was humor early in the morning.

I don't think it's our snide remarks that you'll have to worry about!  :-)

[Valor7]

Well we are up to $3,229,872.00 paid out to other counties since 2001 to house our inmates. Nice chunk of change. Sure glad we are a rich county and can throw that kind of money away.
 
      JB

[matrsnot]

Everybody be careful now. The commissioners will start seeing facts and ideas from citizens and will stop reading as soon as they see they are in the wrong.  Again.