Seal of Lewis and Clark County, Montana (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Lewis and Clark County has started contracting with the jail in Broadwater County to take some extra inmates. But, it’s expensive to transfer inmates like that, so it’s only done on a case by case basis.
Lewis and Clark County Undersheriff David Rau says these overcrowding issues have been going on for the better part of a decade. He says everything is pointing to the need for a new jail.
“You know, times are changing,” Rau said. “We have certain things we have to abide by to keep the inmates safe and to keep us out of liability as a sheriff’s office and county.”
Undersheriff Rau says a criminal justice coordinating council will start meeting in the coming months. The council will be made up of state, county and local law enforcement and other stakeholders—including the public.
http://mtprnews.wordpress.com/2012/07/17/lewis-and-clark-county-jail-facing-overcrowding-issues/
- Lewis and Clark County came in at number 7 on the list. They have 580 incarcerated per 100,000 residents.
- Broadwater County has 321 incarcerated per 100,000 residents. Better than Lewis and Clark County but higher than the states all around. But, wait a minute let’s not forget their statement from earlier.
“We need to put out the word we have space available,” she said adding the jail employs six certified detention officers who work around the clock.
Obert said the commissioners met with the sheriff and undersheriff to draft a plan to make the jail viable again.
“We have one of lowest night fees in the region,” she said. “It’s $63. We have to advertise that, it’s a blue light special.”
Obert said they have spoken with Lewis and Clark County commissioners and Sheriff Leo Dutton.
“We would like to work with them,” she said. “There’s no reason we could not put together a contract that would be attractive to them and to us.”
“We just have to have enough to not have a half-million-dollar shortfall every year,” she said. “It’s business. It’s dollars and cents, and it’s jobs.”
- http://montanacorruption.org/2012/07/06/montanas-incarceration-rates-by-counties-and-the-salaries-they-generate/
- http://montanacorruption.org/2012/05/13/montana-incarceration-its-business-its-dollars-and-cents-and-its-jobs-direct-quote-to-law-and-justice-committee/
- Well there you have it. A blue light special. They need to advertise that they need more Montana citizens. Yes, let’s bring in more citizens through “Innovate Montana” from our own Governor Schweitzer. Democrat or Republican, I don’t care but when you are going to sell your citizens for money that is corruption. And you already know what we think about corruption.
- Times have changed? We have certain things we have to abide by to keep the inmates safe and to keep us out of liability as a sheriff’s office and county? What, they weren’t doing that before? You don’t say.
- Is this part of the new Job Creation Plan that Attorney General Steve Bullock was just announcing if he is voted in as Governor of Montana? Read below.
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