County can’t escape its many jail problems

There’s no way to escape the fact there are problems at Warren County Jail. Unfortunately, one of the problems is just that ‘ escape.

Two accused felons managed to break out of Warren County Jail last week, and in embarrassing fashion. The two escaped from their supposedly secure cell by kicking out bars, breaking a window, and using bed sheets to climb down to the exercise yard.

Once inside the exercise yard, the two climbed a gate and used a blanket to keep razor wire off their skin as they jumped to freedom. From there, one hopped in an awaiting car, which drove through an open gate. The other darted through an open gate and ran down nearby railroad tracks.

While there will never be an escape-proof jail, last week’s escape has unlocked an assortment of jail-related issues. All of them are unsettling, especially for a jail that won’t reach its third birthday until 2008.

In addition to the escape, it was revealed that prisoners in the same area had been scaling down to the exercise yard for some time. Once in the exercise yard, they would get cigarettes and other contraband from friends on the outside before returning to their cell.

But instead of kicking out the bars and the glass, on the previous escapes the inmates carefully removed those obstacles then put them back in place after they returned. It would be almost comical if it didn’t involve $6.5 million in taxpayer dollars.

It makes the jail’s address at 108 Security Circle not so appropriate. Perhaps 108 Revolving Door Way would be a more suitable address.

Adding more fuel to the fire is a metal drop ceiling that inmates in had pried away from its anchors ‘ not that this was any remarkable feat. Anyone with a can opener could have done the same thing. Using a thin metal drop ceiling in a room designed to keep people in is complete folly.

More than anything, this long list of jail shortcomings rests squarely at the feet of jail architect Jim Armstrong, who did a remarkably poor job of designing Warren County’s jail addition. The cheapest materials and the cheapest methods were used ‘ and it shows.

This is by no means an attempt to beat a dead horse. The Standard has long been critical of the Warren County Commission’s decision to use Armstrong.

Rather this is to show all the initial concerns that were voiced about Armstrong have already come to manifest. Maybe next time, commissioners will be more inclined to listen to sound reason.

First and foremost, Armstrong had never built a jail before. Why our jail was offered as the official guinea pig is anybody’s guess.

How many county commissioners would allow a man who had never built a house to design their own home? Probably not many. Yet a majority of commissioners embraced Armstrong because he saved the county a few dollars in the short term.

However, short-term savings shouldn’t apply to a long-term investment and we’re already experiencing another problem with Warren County Jail. Because of its sprawling layout, the jail has yet to receive state certification because it isn’t properly staffed.

Where other jail designs allowed every cell to be viewed from a central command station, that is certainly not the case with this facility. So the sheriff’s department must hire more jailers ‘ which means a larger payroll ‘ if certification is to be achieved.

Of course the most glaring jail weakness is the fact prisoners can simply kick out the bars and dart to freedom. That must be concern No. 1.

Security issues aside, the jail’s plumbing has already shown itself to be problematic and this could very well be a recurring issue.

If nothing else, perhaps county commissioners have been taught a lesson. Perhaps now they understand that hiring a jail architect with no jail experience isn’t smart.

Unfortunately, it’s been a $6.5 million lesson with Warren County taxpayers footing the bill. And since the lifespan of this jail is at least 30 years, we can look forward to roughly 27 more years of headaches.

On the bright side, just think of the savings.