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Starke County Jail Committee Receives Timeline
Lisa A. Lee, partner at Ice Miller LLP, presented a draft timetable for the Starke County Jail project to the jail committee on Friday. The timetable included a list of dates for important steps that must be completed for the project to move forward.
The next committee meeting is scheduled for the afternoon of June 15, when the committee will receive an update from the DLZ Architectural Firm and the Skillman Corporation regarding cost proposals and budgets. Community meetings are expected to be held June 25-30, but that date could be moved sooner if the committee decides to move a month early.
The schematic design phase will begin on July 17 if the county commissioners, council, and jail committee approve findings on the assessment and feasibility study. The design development phase is slated to begin September 18, assuming the schematic design and its estimated cost are approved by the governing bodies.
These dates are subject to change, as the timetable was only presented to the committee as a proposal.
May 7th, 2012 at 2:48 pm
As much as the community may hate to admit it, it’s time to move forward with building a new jail. Every week there’s something on the news about problems with the current facility, and the repair costs are just going to continue to escalate. Unfortunately, criminals aren’t going to go away, so like it or not, we have to have a safe, functional, more modern facility to house them. If the county would have done this 20 years ago when the funds were more readily available, they wouldn’t be bogged down with the problems they’re having now. Money isn’t going to be any easier to find as the economy gets more and more unstable, so let’s move forward while it’s still a possibility.
May 7th, 2012 at 7:04 pm
My hope is that along with a new facility the county can set aside a budget to inservice the staff on how to deal professionally with the inmates and their family members, along with educating them on how to deal with inmates who need medical treatment rather then ignoring their physical symptoms and calling it “protocol”. I have a family member in the Starke Co Jail right now and the two times I have called to check on her welfare the staff have been short and rude appearing agitated at my concern. When ask how she was doing, a jailer stated rudely and I quote “she’s ok I guess”. Really? If it weren’t for the other inmates watching over her noone would. Yes my family member has done wrong and that is not being disputed, however noone deserves to be ignored when their physical illness have been brought to light, and I do believe that according to the US Constitution “inmates are entitled to medical care and attention as needed to treat both short term conditions and long term illness. The medical care provided must be “adequate”.This includes mental illness and inmates who are suffering from severe side affects secondary to drug addictions. The staff’s actions are unreasonable and shows the lack of concern that they have for human life. It would be wise for the Sheriff to inservice his staff now before another tragedy happens in the jail. One that could cost the tax payers and the country a great deal of money.