Just visiting

BENTON, Mo. -- After an hour-long tour, Norman Baker bragged for several minutes about Scott County's new $4.8 million jail, including its innovative design, its state-of-the-art security equipment and the pristine new holding cells.

Not that he wanted to give anyone the wrong impression.

"It's nice, but just to visit though," said the Benton resident with a laugh. "I don't want to ever spend the night here."

That was likely the common sentiment of more than 100 Scott County residents who showed up Saturday afternoon for the jail's dedication ceremony, which comes nearly three years after voters approved the half-cent law enforcement sales tax to replace Southeast Missouri's oldest jail.

It was the public's first look at the new facility that replaces the 71-year-old, 48-bed jail that officials called an undersized and underequipped facility that was draining the county's budget while failing to meet basic needs like cell size, enough cells for female prisoners and adequate kitchen size.

Residents walked through the jail, some led by deputies who were answering questions and explaining various aspects of the jail like booking, visitation and how the surveillance system works. Some brought their children.

"Be good or this is where you'll end up," one mother chided.

The doughnut-shaped area where inmates will be housed includes seven separate pods with eight cells in each that house two prisoners apiece. That makes it easier for the inmates to be watched from a central control station that is equipped with two stacks of black-and-white monitors that show images from 32 cameras.

The main control system is a touch-screen panel that allows deputies to lock or unlock doors with the touch of a finger, as well as communicate by intercom through speakers at every door and to prisoners in every pod. The new jail also includes a day room, a full-size kitchen, a laundry area, five visitation rooms and a private meeting room.

The jail's recreational area, which comes with a basketball goal, has no roof, allowing prisoners to get fresh air. Meshing and razor wire run across the top to prevent escape.

Practical jail

"It's not a fancy jail, but it's practical," said Presiding Commissioner Martin Priggel. "It won't stop all the crime in the county, but it will slow it down and make Scott County a safer place to live. If you want law and order, you have to have an effective jail."

Priggel pointed out that the old jail, which will be razed soon to make way for a parking lot, was too small to meet the county's needs. In 1999, the prisoner occupancy rate was so high that the county had to pay $68,000 to house Scott County prisoners in other county jails.

"We thought that was bad enough, and then in 2002 we spent $634,000," Priggel said. "It was time."

There are 85 inmates being housed at the current jail and other county jails, Priggel said, and at least that many released on bond. The county recently put a full-time prosecutor in place, he said, which is an indicator of the growing need for more jail space.

Sheriff Bill Ferrell said he was overjoyed to see the jail completed, even though inmates won't likely be moved to the new jail until April.

Ferrell said the jail isn't quite finished and there are last-minute touch-up jobs. He said he also needs about 18 new employees to help staff the jail, and he's hashing that out through the county's budgeting process.

Ferrell said increased drug arrests have consistently kept the jail full on a daily basis. On average, it has cost the county $25 to $30 a day for each prisoner.

It will be a good day when the new jail opens, he said.

"You have no idea unless you've visited our old jail," Ferrell said.

The 48-bed jail, built in 1932, offers little room to separate prisoners. It also isn't as safe, he said, considering that deputies have to walk prisoners to the courthouse. In the new jail, there will be video arraignments.

"It was designed as a dungeon would be in the 1600s," Ferrell said.

The jail was remodeled once in 1971, but no storage space was added as part of the remodeling. It is also easier to sneak in contraband, he said, because there are areas outside of the camera's reach where inmates serving as trustees can pick up drugs or alcohol stashed by family or friends.

Ferrell said the transition from old to new involves trial and error. The clothes washing machine was too small, so the county has had to order a second one. Some wire mesh has to be replaced. "But it's been a learning process," Ferrell said.

Ernest Glastetter of Oran, Mo., said it was a "nice jail," but he was disheartened to learn how much money jails cost now, comparing this one to a "full-fledged prison."

"I can understand more now why they're letting prisoners loose," he said. "It's so expensive to keep them."

smoyers@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 137