EDITORIAL: Investing in jail promotes top priority: public safety
May 28-Once upon a time, The Columbian wrote editorially that "Clark County officials and residents need to have a serious discussion about the Clark County Jail." Nearly a decade has passed since then, and the need for a serious discussion remains.
In delivering a State of the County address last week, Council Chair Sue Marshall said, "It's no secret that our county jail is more than 40 years old, and that the current structure and layout of the main jail needs to be updated to accommodate current and future needs."
Progress has been made. An expansion is being constructed to add 64 new medium-security beds by early 2027. But for years, it has been clear that anything short of a massive overhaul or a new jail is a matter of delaying the inevitable.
Marshall placed the cost of updating and remodeling the jail at $470 million; for context, the county government's annual budget is nearly $900 million. And she said a report regarding funding options is expected to arrive in the next month.
In the meantime, taxpayers and voters should recognize the need for the pricey project and embrace it as being essential to public safety. That part could be an easy sell; as Marshall noted, public safety is a priority for county residents.
That emphasis is reflected in the county budget. Approximately 80 percent of Clark County's general fund goes to the sheriff's office, courts and jail. And a new criminal justice sales tax is leading to the addition of 22 deputy positions in the sheriff's office.
As Sheriff John Horch said last month, upon approval of the new positions: "This decision reflects extensive collaboration among the sheriff's office, the county manager, the budget office, the county council, and community members. This is an important step toward addressing our long-standing staffing challenges."
Yet while law enforcement is the most visible aspect of public safety, jurisprudence and incarceration also are essential to the process. That includes a jail that has been inadequate for many years.
The jail, which was built in the 1980s, has a capacity of 491 beds. A 2017 report by consultant DLR Group suggested that the county will require as many as 1,200 jail beds by 2036, and that much of the interior needs to be replaced - including plumbing and electrical systems.
In the past, Marshall has said: "I think it behooves us to put forward what we believe is the real need. There's been multiple attempts at this that have somehow stalled at the last minute, and I think all along we felt we've got one shot at this and we need to make the most of it."
As always, that presents difficulties. County officials have recently noted a shortfall in funding for items such as parks, public health and other services, and prioritization is essential. At the county level, public safety must be the top priority - and the public must recognize the broad benefits of investing in a jail.
As The Columbian has written editorially: "If a jail is unsafe for inmates and poorly serves their needs, it also is unsafe for deputies who work there. And that should be of concern for taxpayers who pay the social and economic costs associated with an inadequate jail. Having appropriate space and services is not a matter of creating a country-club experience for inmates, despite public opinion that often embraces that trope; it is a matter of creating an acceptable work space for deputies and reducing recidivism. In the process, it speaks to our values as a community."
As discussions about a renovated jail are likely to reveal, those values can be expensive.
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