I just finished a tour of the Jasper County Jail as part of a “things I’ll need to address immediately if elected sheriff” exercise.
Hats off to the folks staffing and maintaining the facility. They are top-notch. You definitely get the “we are family” vibe from the personnel.
During the tour, it became painfully obvious to me that the structure was never designed with any foresight toward future expansion or durability. When Don Drury died during the construction, all oversight and accountability for shoddy workmanship went out the window.
What the county signed off on and paid for, as depicted in blueprints, is often missing, replaced with inferior material that’s only partially installed. The amount of rigging necessary to stay operational is sad. Locks and lighting were already malfunctioning during the jail’s first week of operation, so you can imagine the state of affairs 20 years later. Beds were even falling out of the wall because of lack of reinforcement. You begin to get a clearer picture of what the jailers, the maintenance folks and, yes, the prisoners have to endure. Did I mention the water leaks?
The contractor being considered for the remodeling job is champing at the bit to get started. I would sit down with the folks who presently serve in and maintain the facility and get their input before spending another dime. From where I sit, that move alone could cut in half the price-tag of the proposed plans.
Presently, calls and emails from jail supervisors and maintenance personnel to the Jasper County Commissioners in attempts to address immediate concerns go unanswered or unheeded as part of the continued saga of bad blood that has plagued Sheriff Archie Dunn’s administration.
Not returning phone calls or emails in a timely fashion is just unprofessional. Potential damages awarded because of willful disregard for clear and pressing issues of safety and security should be reason enough to put politics aside and start working together.
At the academy, I teach the cadets a variation of the golden rule: “Treat everyone like family until you can’t.” It’s time for everyone who works for the county, from the least important person to the most, to remember we’re on the same team.
Ideally, a new justice center could eventually be built. A different location is needed; one centrally located with more beds that could deal with our current overcrowded population as well as the projected number of prisoners over the next 10 years. Having all the sheriff’s people in one building would eventually save money, boost moral and bring in revenue, if enough beds were added. We are one of the largest counties in the state. It’s time we started acting like it.
John Karriman is the Libertarian candidate for Jasper County Sheriff. He will face Republican Randee Kaiser in the Nov. 6 election.
Opinion
John Karriman, guest columnist: People of Jasper County deserve first-class jail
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