"The Jail": A Practical Solution Versus Three Or Four Egos Maybe?

This is a look back to a News Release From Clatsop County Commission regarding Sheriff Tom Bergin's workable proposal, in my view, for a practical retro-fit to the existing jail and a resolution to adequate bed space so badly needed, even now.

The incumbent members of the CCBofC at the time just could not leave well enough alone and made it very clear that they were not too happy about what appeared so obvious: Clearly being one-upped by the Sheriff on this important issue.

And what did CCBof C do?

Initiated a $96,000.00 study by the socalled "EXPERTS" from out of area, The National Institute of Corrections in lieu of a local study by those in the know and intimate with the situation.


"Wednesday, January 31, 2007

COUNTY TO BE THOROUGH, DILIGENT IN EVALUATING JAIL OPTIONS
As Clatsop County moves forward with efforts to resolve local jail capacity problems, the county commissioners want to thoroughly study all possibilities and their costs.
The county is taking the next step in evaluating Sheriff Tom Bergin’s proposal to retrofit and expand the existing jail, Chairperson Richard Lee explained.
“We think the sheriff’s proposal has merit and we applaud Sheriff Tom Bergin for his innovation and ingenuity in bringing this option to the table,” Lee said. “We’re taking the next step by having the county manager and sheriff work together to analyze the potential impacts of the proposal on operating and other ongoing costs.”
The scope of the favorable feasibility study of expanding the existing jail was limited to structural issues. DLR Group indicated that the existing building could be expanded within the second floor overhang to increase inmate capacity. Its study included a geotechnical analysis of existing soils and a structural engineering evaluation of the existing structure’s pile systems for bearing and lateral resistance capacities.
As part of the decision-making process, the Board of Commissioners wants to be able to compare the retrofit with any other potential solutions, which could include renting beds at another facility on a larger scale and on a long-term basis or building a new jail locally or with a neighboring county.
To gather the information, County Manager Scott Derickson has contacted the National Institute of Corrections, which sponsored an earlier study of the current jail operations, for recommendations of experts who can help with the analysis.
Various studies that the county commissioned before bringing the failed jail bond measure to voters in 2002 need to be updated to reflect current conditions. The makeup of the type of offenders in the jail has changed. The 30-bed transition center opened last year. Settlement of wetlands issues with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers could open new sites for a new facility.
“We want to be diligent and make sure we identify all options and know all the costs so we can weigh the advantages and disadvantages of each before we determine the best solution if we have to make a major investment of the taxpayers’ money,” Lee said. “We believe this is the responsible way to go.”"