Tuesday, May 18, 1999
East-siders protest jail site
Duescher Foundry is chosen location
BY DAVID ECK
Enquirer Contributor
HAMILTON — After years of study and sometimes prickly debate, county commissioners decided Monday to build a jail at the former Duescher Foundry site on the city's east side.
Their decision angered area residents, who say a jail will damage property values and quality of life. About 100 people — most opposed to the site — attended the meeting.
Their message was clear: Build someplace else. “If it will help the property values, then build it next to your house,” said Archie Johnson.
Butler County is one of three Tristate communities wrestling with where to build a jail. In Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, officials are searching for suitable sites, trying to balance the growing need to lock up criminals with concerns about disrupting neighborhoods.
The new Butler County Jail would have 412 cells and a capacity of 704 people. It would replace the jail in downtown Hamilton, which was built 30 years ago and is deteriorating and chronically crowded. It was designed to hold 80 prisoners, but routinely has more than double that.
Construction should take about 30 months.
Commissioners had narrowed jail sites to the foundry and a patch of land in downtown Hamilton. But it would cost $7.6 million more to build downtown.
“We have to look at dollars and cents and getting the most bang for the buck,” Commissioner Charles Furmon said. “We need the new jail to get criminals off the streets, to make your streets safer.”
Opponents agreed that a new jail is badly needed, but many think the foundry is the wrong site.
“We want solutions, and a jail is not a solution,” said Alan McIntyre. “I think you're putting the jail there because it's a black community. We're a dumping ground.”
After the meeting, Commissioner Mike Fox disputed that.
“This was not about race,” he said. “This was about how do we get the jail we need in the least amount of time.”
Commissioners said residents can challenge the jail decision in court and admitted it might come to that.
“Wherever we go, we're going to have a fight,” Mr. Fox said. “Siting jails is not an act that meets with a lot of public acceptance.”
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