Seward County Independent

    Seward County has more prisoners than space to hold them and it's costing the county money - a lot of money.
     For the 2006 budget year the county spent $131,787 to board its prisoners in other jails, often as far away as Madison County, and that doesn't even factor in the transportation costs or the time deputies spend escorting prisoners back and forth.
     Dan Williams' answer to the problem is to build a new 100-bed, 28,000-square-foot jail.
     "They're busting at the seams," he said of the current facility.
     Williams, a jail consultant and employee of the Sarpy County Sheriff's Office with more than 32 years experience in law enforcement, presented an update on his study of the Seward criminal justice system to the Seward County Facility Planning Committee at its July 20 meeting.
     He was also quick to point out that the proposal is subject to change based on further meetings and study.
     "There's nothing really written in stone at this point," he said. "It's still in the study process."
     After six months of research and analysis of prison demographics and sentencing records, Williams told the committee that if population growth and arrest patterns continue at their current rate, by 2020 Seward will be responsible for an average daily inmate population of 56.68 prisoners. Peak population days could approach 100 inmates.
     In 1978, the Seward County Jail was constructed with a capacity of 14 prisoners. Today the same space holds 24 prisoners and is not as safe for staff as a modern jail would be, said Jail Administrator Terry Kamprath.
     "In the '70s they built what they called a linear jail," Kamprath said. "In other words, it's kind of like a row of cells down the hallway. The only way to view the inmates is you have to actually go to the cell door and open it or else there's a little window."
     While the jail staff recently installed security cameras in the cells, monitoring cell goings-on is still an issue for Seward jail staff.
     "It can be a dangerous thing...they can cause problems in the cell and you're not going to catch them or get over to the door in time. Or they could be planning something," Kamprath said. "We've been fortunate not to have too many problems."
     Modern jails of the size Williams is proposing use a security strategy called indirect supervision, Kamprath said.
     "You'd have a control center with glass all the way around and then there'd be glass on all the cell areas or they'll have like an indoor/outdoor rec. room and they'll have glass so you can watch all the time," he said. "The officers in that control area would be able to control doors and there would be an intercom in the cells where the inmates could get ahold of the officer in the control area if they needed something or there were problems."
     Williams' suggested jail space proposal includes room for 10 maximum-security, 20 male medium-security, 20 female medium-security, 38 male minimum-security and 12 male work-release prisoners.
     Any cells not holding Seward County prisoners could be rented out to nearby counties with overcrowded jails or federal marshals, bringing revenue back to the county.
     Williams said he found crowded conditions throughout his experience with all levels of the Seward County correctional system.
     "The courts, whether you like to admit it or not, they're squeezed in," he said. "And when they take a standard office made for one person and put a jury in there, that's not right. I'd like to meet again in two weeks to have all the space stuff presented - all the courts, communications, sheriff and everything."
     Despite the crowded conditions of much of the county's criminal justice system, Williams applauded the county's diversion program for its success in dealing with offenders without incarcerating them.
     "If you did not have your diversion program you would be farming out a lot of people on the front end and farming out a lot of people on the back end," he said. "I guarantee you it's paid for itself. It has been a very very effective program."
     Additionally, Williams commended Seward County Judge Gerald Rouse for attending the meeting, and for working to cut down the average stay by working very efficiently.
     "These people have bonds set within a very very short period of time," he said.
     The next step for the jail study will be a meeting with the Seward County Board of Commissioners. Williams will talk over security issues with the board during executive session at its Tuesday, Aug. 8, meeting.
     "I'll discuss several issues that I need some guidance on with them (the board)," Williams said. "Then after that we should be able to finish up the study and make some recommendations."
     The commissioners will have the final decision on what action to take once Williams' study is complete.