Commissioners to check out cost of an architect for a possible jail expansion

Two committees of the Presque Isle County Board of Commissioners will begin exploring the cost of a possible expansion of the county jail. Sheriff Terry Flewelling declared a state of emergency February 16 when the inmate population stayed above the design capacity for more than seven consecutive days. As of Monday, there were 27 prisoners being housed in the jail, said Flewelling — four more than the jail was designed to hold.

“It is a problem right now,” said Flewelling. “We’ve got them sleeping on the floor.” Flewelling said at least three inmates had been sleeping on the floor, but it could have been more if a couple prisoners were not released early or given delayed sentences at recent court hearings. Both Circuit Judge Scott Pavlich and District Judge Harold Johnson have been working with Flewelling and jail administrator Bob Paschke to keep the numbers down until the problem can be solved. Will there be a solution, as in an expansion of the jail? The county commissioners have taken the next step of finding out.

THE PUBLIC HEALTH and safety committee will see how much it will cost to hire an architect, while the finance committee will examine the increased operational cost of a larger facility. Jail administrator Bob Paschke submitted some preliminary ideas to the public health and safety committee at its February 22 meeting. The location that might be looked at first for expansion is between the sheriff’s department building and the county annex building, in the area of the inmate exercise yard.

Public health and safety committee chairman Mike Darga says it’ll cost the county $35 a day to house prisoners at other facilities. “If we had to house five people for 365 days in another county, it’s going to cost $65,000 a year,” said Darga. The population of the jail was as many as 31 on February 14, and above the design capacity of 23, more than 200 days in 2004.

CHAIRMAN ALLAN BRUDER also said violent prisoners need to be separated from others and with the overcrowding situation, that has proved to be more challenging for Paschke. “If he (Paschke) has the wrong prisoners together and somebody gets hurt,” Bruder said the county could open up itself to lawsuit, such as the one that was just settled with an inmate who attempted

to hang himself. Bruder would like to find an answer to the problem without building a multi-million dollar addition or seeking bonds. He said there are some funds in a couple of accounts that might be used. Commissioner Gary Wozniak said if an expansion does occur, and 20 or more beds are added, the state would mandate the hiring of more employees.

“You might as well assume you are going to have to hire two more people,” said Wozniak. The cost of health care and retirement benefits for additional employees will have to be considered if plans move forward to add on to the county jail, Wozniak said.

Bruder believes proposals should be looked at with the sole purpose of housing county prisoners and not prisoners form other counties, who are also having an overcrowding problem and are considering expansion proposals. The motion to gather the prices of a couple of architects was passed on a unanimous vote.