Grand Traverse County Looks to the Future
By Diana Fairbanks
Thursday, August 20, 2009 at 1:36 p.m.
Read more: Local, Crime, Grand Traverse County, Jail, Bensley, Diana Fairbanks, Fact Finder, Fact Finder
Four years ago Grand Traverse County spent about 2 million dollars to expand the jail.
So a viewer wanted to know why there's already talk of expanding it again, or even building a new jail?
The answer is tonight's Fact Finder report.
Grand Traverse County Sheriff Tom Bensley says, "The County put an addition on the jail four years ago when it was overcrowded and that helped the situation greatly, but we can't expect the situation to stay the same."
The issue of crowding has long been a hot topic for county jails where state law places a cap on how many inmates can be housed at a facility forcing counties to make some tough decisions when there is not enough room.
But with the addition of 42 beds in 2005, that's not a problem today at the Grand Traverse County Jail.
Sheriff Bensley says, "Currently we have no population problems. The jail capacity is 194 and this morning we have 166."
But county and jail leaders are planning now for the future.
Sheriff Bensley says, "We would expect there to be at some point in time an increase and we cannot build a new jail overnight."
One factor that may speed up the need and the process is a cost cutting proposal in Lansing. Sheriff Bensley says the plan would allow courts to sentence offenders up to 2 years in county jails. Right now inmates can only spend up to a year in jail, any longer sentences must be served in state prison.
Sheriff Bensley says, "That helps the state people out but puts it right back on the county. If that were to happen we'd see a large increase in jail population."
While that proposal is still in the early stages, the sheriff says this is the time to start thinking about the possibilities.
Sheriff Bensley says, "We need to start talking about when and where a new jail would be constructed. There are a lot of factors involved with that. #1 is primarily the location and #2 is cost."
When it comes to location, the sheriff says where the jail is now has its pluses and minuses.
Sheriff Bensley says, "There are advantages to being at the Boardman campus with all of the courts there. There may be some disadvantages or limitations with space and parking and also incorporating the sheriff's office back to the Boardman Campus."
Right now the jail is downtown nestled between the recently renovated courts and the governmental center. The sheriff's office though is located more than a mile away on Woodmere Avenue. Another possibility is to building a new facility on county owned property on La Franier Road.
That option would allow for expansion and re-uniting the jail and sheriff's office, but it would be miles away from the courts.
Expanding the jail at its current location would likely mean going up instead of out. If the nearly 50 year old foundation can handle it.
These are all long term possibilities planners will explore, along with the cost, which the sheriff says is too early to estimate.
But he says if the jail runs out of room, there are only two short term options.
Sheriff Bensley says "the options are early release, let inmates out early, or board them at other facilities and that costs money."
The sheriff says to avoid those options; looking toward tomorrow should start today.
Sheriff Bensley says, "Why do we start now? It's something the county has been talking about in that we need to plan for the future. It will be a long process if a new jail is needed in five years this process may very well take five years."
So what do you think about plans to expand or build a new jail? Would you pay more in taxes to help cover the cost?
Leave your comments below.
