Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, August 11, 1993 TAG: 9308110152
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: PAUL DELLINGER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: WYTHEVILLE LENGTH: Medium
Its Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to drop out rather than invest $14,613 more to meet new General Assembly requirements for regional jail projects.
Wythe had joined with Pulaski, Giles and Floyd counties and the city of Radford in financing a $26,500 study made by the New River Valley Planning District Commission last year.
That had been the main state requirement to qualify a regional jail project for 50 percent state funding. The 1993 legislature, however, added requirements for more detailed plans costing an estimated $75,000.
Wythe County Sheriff Wayne Pike told the county's supervisors Tuesday that the county jail is in good shape for a few more years even though it eventually will have to be replaced. "The easiest thing for me would be a regional jail. That would solve a lot of my problems," he said.
But he suggested that Wythe could make money by building its own jail and taking prisoners from federal agencies, overcrowded Northern Virginia jails and neighboring states. The U.S. Marshal's Service and other localities would pay Wythe County to house its excess prisoners.
"In my mind, if Wythe County had its own jail, you've got a revenue-producer because of where it's located," Pike said. "You're talking about a scaled-down version of a regional jail."
He estimated the cost at less than $3 million.
But the state Department of Corrections might not provide any funding, since its push is toward more efficient regional jails. The board discussed approaching neighboring Carroll and Grayson counties to see if they would participate in a regional jail covering those three localities.
Carroll and Grayson already have agreed to join in the $75,000 cost of the regional jail study although they did not take part in the initial study. But their costs - based on numbers of prisoners - are far below Wythe's.
Wythe's $14,613 share is the second largest among those being asked to make the study. Pulaski County had the largest share at $30,783. Its county officials are going to ask the regional jail study committee to change the assessment basis from jail to general population when the committee meets Aug. 31 in Radford.
Pulaski County has made no decision yet on whether to help pay for the newly required data.
County Sheriff Ralph Dobbins noted that Pulaski County - because its jail is bigger than that of many of its neighbors - already has been making money by housing prisoners from other localities. He told his Board of Supervisors that would be an advantage if the county continued to have its own jail.
Bob Lloyd, the assistant Radford city manager who has been heading the jail study committee, could not say Tuesday what effect Wythe's departure might have on the project.
Speculation among the Wythe supervisors was that their action might make Grayson and Carroll think again about participating, since the geographical center of those now involved in the study would shift farther away from them.
"If this board makes a decision on this regional jail not to go, it's not going to affect just Wythe County," Supervisor John Davis said. "If Wythe County drops out of this thing . . . then Grayson County would be a fool to stay in it."
"If they were going to put the regional jail at Fort Chiswell, that would be something else," Supervisor Jack Crosswell said. That would put the jail in eastern Wythe County and keep prisoner transportation costs down.
Wythe County Engineer Bill Rogg said a lack of sewer facilities in eastern Wythe County and western Pulaski County probably would keep any regional jail from going to those areas. He said eastern Pulaski County would be a viable site.
"I'd like for us to have our own, but I don't know where we'd ever get that kind of money," Wythe Supervisor Olin Armentrout said.
But he agreed that the county should not invest more money in the regional study with the New River Valley localities since there was an obvious lack of enthusiasm by the board.
"Who knows whether the state's going to change the rules in the middle of the game again?" asked Wythe Supervisor Alan Dunford.
If Wythe builds its own jail or shares one with Carroll and Grayson, it could have site problems, too.
"I think you've got to have a remote place or a local government place," Pike said. "You can't put it in the middle of a residential area."
by CNB