Sheriff Winder: Oxbow is a Necessary, but Temporary Solution to Jail Overcrowding
Aug 05, 2008 by Elizabeth Ziegler
(KCPW News) Abandoned Oxbow Jail needs $700,000 in repairs before it can be reopened to ease overcrowding at the Salt Lake County Jail, says Sheriff Jim Winder. He and corrections chief Rollin Cook, will recommend reopening one wing of Oxbow at a regularly scheduled Corrections Department briefing during the county council meeting this afternoon.
"Although the building has been physically maintained, any building that sits idle for roughly seven years now, there are mechanical issues that need to be repaired, some ceiling issues, some roof issues," Winder says. "And really the computer issues are the largest part of the retrofit required."
Opening one of Oxbow's four pods would add 160 beds for Salt Lake County inmates, and lower the number of convicted criminals given overcrowding releases, Winder says. Over the past six months, he says the number of inmates booked into jail, then immediately released jumped from roughly 1,600 a month to 2,200. And last month, jail officials had to start releasing some inmates convicted of more serious crimes. But opening Oxbow is only a temporary fix, Winder says. He says the long term solution will require a bond measure to expand the main Salt Lake County jail.
"People have to understand that by going to bond in 2011, the facility, if we were successful to create and build new jail space, they would not be ready to receive a single inmate until 2017 due to construction," Winder says. "Now, imagine if we don't open Oxbow and wait to open additional jail space until 2017, it's just beyond comprehension. "
Even if the council acts immediately, Winder says Oxbow wouldn't be ready to receive inmates until February or March. Winder estimates it will take more than $3 million per year to operate one of Oxbow's wings, and nearly $6 million to operate all four. He says he anticipates needing to open all four pods within the next two years.
Email to a friendPosted in KCPW Newsroom. Copyright 2009 KCPW
1. Jeffrey said:
I’m disappointed in seeing such a one-sided effort towards this problem. More jails ensure criminals server their time, nothing else! Our system is heavily punitive and lacks an effective rehabilitative measure.
We complain about over crowded jails, prisons and limited resources; what have we done to rehabilitate offenders. It’s the conservative attitude that they don’t deserve money, but is that really the case. In the case of a drug offender; they may have a choice: go to jail or pay out of pocket to attended drug rehabilitation program. Most offenders don’t have $20,000 available to them, so they go to jail. When housing them in jail may have coasted tax payers $25,000 for a year. Where is the logic in that, especially when the offender wanted treatment.
All I’m saying is we need to be balanced and make every effort to rehabilitate, it’s our insurance against repeat offenders; they best we have.
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