Consultant may develop proposals for new county jail

Colbert County - Commissioners know they need to replace the aging county jail, and John Smith, a Montgomery-based consultant, wants to put together a plan to help them.

The 47-year-old jail is long past its expected lifespan. Sheriff Ronnie May said many of its problems are related to age.

Smith has toured the jail and agrees something needs to be done.

"What I'm offering is to develop a plan that gives (the commission) what it's going to take to do it," Smith said. "I want to put a plan together that helps them make an educated and informed decision on moving forward with building a new jail."

Smith said Friday he hopes to be able to follow up on conversations he has had with several commissioners.

Smith said he has worked with officials in Alabama, Georgia, Florida and North Carolina on issues related to jails and prisons for the past eight years.

"He impressed us with his variety of knowledge on a variety of topics pertaining to jails and corrections," said Commission Chairman Roger Creekmore. "I support a new jail, but I want to know the alternatives. Give us some choices with some price tags attached. Then we can move forward at that point."

Creekmore said he likes the idea of working with a jail consultant such as Smith, who would be representing the county's best interests, rather than those of a contractor.

"He can give us a variety of options," Creekmore said.

Better planning, Creekmore said, will help the county avoid some of the problems other counties have experienced with new jail construction.

Commissioner Jimmy Gardiner said he has spoken to not only his fellow commissioners but members of the public about the need for a new jail.

"The need is not ever going away," said Gardiner, who is nearing the end of his first year as a commissioner. "From what I've gathered, everyone understands we need a new jail. It's just how we're going to pay for it that's the big question."

One idea is the concept of a metro jail, one that serves the county and its municipalities. May said he favors the concept.

"Each of the police chiefs right now indicated that they are still in favor of a consolidated facility," May said.

May said Colbert County's emergency 911 system and the Colbert County Drug Task Force have considered locating in such a facility if it is built.

Gardiner said he would like to revisit a cooperative agreement between the county and municipalities and investigate the feasibility of a consolidated city-county jail.

"A metro jail is a great idea," Gardiner said. "With costs continuing to rise, it makes sense to have a unified system throughout the county."

May said since 1998, when talk of building a new jail started gaining momentum, the cost has been as low as $8 million to as high as $20 million.

If a federal judge orders the county to build a new jail, the sheriff said the price could increase by another $3 million to $5 million.

"They would vote to start it tomorrow if they could find the money and a way to pay it back," May said.

Smith said he could do a lot of the legwork that the commissioners might not be able to do, such as speak with representatives of other municipalities to determine their needs. In the end, he wants to provide the commission with possibly three proposals.

Gardiner said it will take a grassroots effort to convince people that a new jail is a necessary evil that will have to be paid for somehow.

May said low-interest loans are available, but there has to be a source of income to pay the debt service.

"That's the big thing right there, where is the money coming from," Keeton said.

Russ Corey can be reached at 740-5738 or russ.corey@TimesDaily.com.