Committee hears community concerns

PRINCETON — Members of the community continue to ask questions of the research being done on a possible new jail for Bureau County.

At Tuesday’s meeting at the Bureau County Courthouse, the Bureau County Criminal Justice Coordinating Committee (BCCJCC) reviewed a comprehensive mission statement written for the group by Sheriff John Thompson and BCCJCC co-chairmen Rick Wilkin and Joe Bertetto. The BCCJCC will also viewed a power point presentation on the jail needs.

The Power Point presentation categorized jail needs into various levels. One level dealt with items and issues which could be repaired at the current jail, but at a substantial cost, such as accessibility needs and heating/air conditioning upgrades.

A subsequent level in the presentation dealt with things which could be achieved only by adding onto the current jail or building a new facility, such as the current jail’s wide range of space problems. Those space needs include sufficient room for female inmates as well as special housing requirements for inmates who may be suicidal or needing isolation. Other space needs include, in part, room for recreation, programming, and storage.

Community member Ed Laine of rural Princeton questioned the committee as to its definition of “substantial costs.” The power point presentation looks like a sales job for a new facility, he said.

In response, Wilkin said the Power Point presentation is a sales job, but a sales job to show the public why the discussion and research is needed. As far as the definition of substantial costs, the committee has learned the needed heating/air conditioning upgrade is estimated at $900,000 and an elevator for accessibility is estimated at $100,000, which are just two of the needs.

When looking at the best use of taxpayer money, the committee has to consider whether it’s best to put that kind of money into renovating the current facility or whether it’s financially wiser to build a new facility, Wilkin said.

Laine also noted it was interesting that Bureau County has thousands of residents and only six non-BCCJCC members attended Tuesday’s meeting. (Two of those six people were reporters.)

In his comments, community member Harold Steele of rural Dover cautioned the committee to make sure it knows what has to be done to meet state and federal guidelines and what are the penalties or restrictions for not meeting those guidelines and standards. In reality, not everything may have to be done, he said.