Friday, January 21, 2000
Planned jail full in days?
BY CINDY SCHROEDER
The Cincinnati Enquirer
COVINGTON — When Kenton County builds its new jail, based on past history, it could be full in a very short time, a state corrections official told the Kenton County Jail Commission on Thursday.
“Most new facilities, when they come on line, usually reach capacity within 30 to 60 days,” said Robert Powell, director of community services and local facilities for the Kentucky Department of Corrections. “Some are over capacity in 60 days. From a historical perspective, jails are going to fill up quickly.”
Because of that history, Mr. Powell said, any new jail built in the commonwealth should have expansion capabilities. He recommended overbuilding support areas, such as kitchens and laundry facilities, to ensure Kenton County's jail could easily be modified to meet the county's future needs.
As Kenton County officials struggle over where to build a jail to replace the crowded, inefficient facility near Covington's riverfront, the jail commission is charged with advising the county on such things as the best size and design and options for the jail's construction and management.
In the commission's first meeting since Kenton Fiscal Court killed plans to build a jail in Elsmere, the advisory group dropped that city's mayor and the Elsmere-based Mazak Corp. as members, and added Kenton County Public Defender Michael Foulk, Joe Pennington of Trinity Episcopal Church and John Domaschko.
William Schmaedecke, a former Kenton District Court judge who heads the jail commission, asked the commission's four subcommittees to offer recommendations on financing, infrastructure, community and facility needs when the commission meets Feb. 10. The group will meet at 1 p.m. on the fourth floor of the Kenton County Administration building in Covington.
Mr. Schmaedecke said he hopes to give fiscal court a tentative report on commission findings within 90 days.
While Kenton County's growth is predicted to stay flat, tougher laws in the past 10 to 15 years have meant more offenders are going to jail, the jail commission said.
Judges will be more inclined to sentence offenders to jail if they know space is available, county prosecutors said.
Consultants have recommended Kenton County build a 576-bed jail, a number in keeping with the 575 to 600 beds Mr. Powell estimated would be needed.
The current jail holds between 330 and 340 prisoners — its capacity is 262.
Whether Kenton County's new jail is cost-efficient will depend largely on the county's choosing the proper size and design, Mr. Powell told the jail commission.
Because of its multistory design, the Kenton County Jail is one of the most inefficiently staffed jails in Kentucky, he said.
However, with a good design and proper staffing, the county could operate a new jail at a comparable cost to the present facility, excluding debt service, Mr. Powell said.
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