OUTDATED INFRASTRUCTURE HAVE
PLAGUED THE LEWIS AND CLARK
COUNTY DETENTION
CENTER FOR YEARS.
A LEVY TO RAISE 4 MILLION
DOLLARS A YEAR FOR THE NEXT 15
YEARS AIMS TO FIX THAT.
IF APPROVED THE LEVYWOULD RAISE
TAXES ABOUT85 DOLLARSA YEAR
FOR A HOME VALUED AT 200-
THOUSAND DOLLARS
M-T-NS JACOB FUHRER SPOKE
WITHSUPPORTERS WHOSAY PASSING
THE LEVY IS NECESSARY.
TAKE PKG: X1:43 OC...SOC
JACOB FUHRER SAYS, "WHEN THE
LEWIS AND CLARK COUNTY JAIL WAS
BUILT IN 1985, IT WAS ONLY MEANT
TO HOUSE AROUND 54 INMATES, BUT
TODAY IT HOSTS MORE THAN TWICE
THAT. NAT POP JAIL DOOR
SERGEANT SCOTT FERGUSON SAYS,
"IT'S A JUGGLING ACT ALL THE
TIME
TRYING TO DECIDE WHERE WE'RE
GOING TO PUT THESE PEOPLE"
THE LIBRARY...NOW TEMPORARY
HOUSING. INMATES SLEEP ON MATS
ON THE FLOOR...THE CELLS
AREOVER CAPACITY.
THIS ROOM..NORMALLY A HALLWAY,
DOUBLES AS THE
D-U-I TESTING ROOM.
"IT'S NOT AS EFFICIENT BUT IT'S
MORE EFFICIENT THAN HAVING IT IN
OUR MAIN HALLWAY THAT WE NEED TO
RUN OUR EVERYDAY
BUSINESS"
COMPROMISES AND QUICK FIXES LIKE
THAT ARE FOUND THROUGHOUT THE
JAIL.
IN 2016 VOTERS APPROVED ASIX
ANDHALF MILLIONDOLLAR BOND TO
REMOVE THE OFFICES IN THE
CURRENT LAW ENFORCEMENT
CENTER AND CONVERT THE ENTIRE
BUILDING TO JAIL SPACE...
BUT VOTER'S REJECTED AN
ACCOMPANYING OPERATING LEVY...
KELLY MCBRIDE, YWCA EXEC
DIRECTOR SAYS,"THE HEATBURN WITH
THIS ISSUE IS WE ARE ASKING
LEWIS AND CLARK
COUNTY RESIDENTS TO VOTE TO
RAISE THEIR TAXES"
ONE CAN'TMOVE FORWARD WITHOUT
THE OTHER... SO COUNTY LEADERS
ARE GOING BACK TO VOTERS THIS
NOVEMBER.
"IT'S LIKE HAVING A BRAND NEW
AIRPLANE, AND THAT'S GREAT
BUT IF YOU DON'T HAVE A PILOT
AND COPILOT AND THE MAINTENANCE
CREW TO KEEP THAT PLANE GOING,
YOUR AIRPLANE IS JUST KIND OF
USELESS"
SUPPORTERS SAY IF MEASURE IS
APPROVED, IT WILL ALLOW THEM TO
HIRE MORE STAFF AND FIX BROKEN
EQUIPMENT...
LIKE SECURITY CAMERAS AND DOOR
CONTROLS
"IT'S VERY DANGEORUS, YES"
RIGHT NOW, THERE ARE AS FEW AS
ONE OFFICER FOR EVERY 90
INMATES.
"IF WE HAD MORE ROOM AND MORE
OFFICERS, WE'D HAVE A HIGHER
OFFICER TO INMATE RATIO THAN WE
DO NOW"
THEY SAY IF THIS MEASURE IS
APPROVED WILL MEAN GREATER
SAFETY FOR OFFICERS, INMATES AND
THE COMMUNITY
JF MTN NEWS...
MONTANA'S NEWEST U.S.
