A New Jail Is Needed--Now

Earlier this year a federal court judge held the Orange County Board of Supervisors and Sheriff Brad Gates in criminal contempt for ignoring for seven years, yes, seven years, his order to resolve overcrowding at the Orange County Jail. So, understandably, now it seems that there should be nothing the sheriff wouldn’t do to finally get another jail built. And nothing the county Board of Supervisors wouldn’t do to meet the same goal.

And that’s what the public keeps getting. Nothing.

Not that the public really wants more. Oh, yes, residents are all for tougher laws that keep criminals in jail longer. They are even willing to pay for that. But there’s one proviso. They want those lockups built anywhere but in their neighborhood.

All of which may explain why, after years of planning, the proposed new jail that is so critically needed is still years away. In fact, in a recent letter to the county board, the sheriff wrote, in capital letters, that the “county has already fallen behind in the planning process for facilities which will be needed by 1990.”

Those capital letters, the reminder and the tone of the letter irritated some of the supervisors. But obviously not enough to go out and get a jail built posthaste. The county admits that it is presently at least two years behind its original goal to have the new jail built and housing prisoners by 1990. It also admits to being about two years away from even selecting a site for a new jail.

Gates is urging the board to speed up the timetable; a reasonable request that some view as political posturing to make it appear that it is the board rather than Gates that is holding up the jail’s construction.

The bickering really isn’t necessary. There’s enough blame to go around. In the seven years since U.S. District Judge William P. Gray ordered overcrowding at the county jail corrected, neither the board nor Gates aggressively attacked the problem. Substantive action to correct conditions was taken last March only after the county and the sheriff were held in contempt of court for failing to comply earlier. But Gates is right now in pushing the board for action. Why should it take so long to get the jail built? Why can’t the process be given high priority and put on the fast track? Why, indeed, has the county fallen so far behind in its planning?

One reason for the board’s slow reflexes is the political fallout in making the tough decision on the jail’s location. The board, as it has been wont to do in other touchy political issues, has backed off of selected sites to conduct further studies. The goal seems to be finding the most politically acceptable site, which is virtually unattainable because wherever the jail goes, there is bound to be some opposition.

The need for a new jail is indisputable. So is the urgency. The county, by its own past studies, estimates that it will need an additional 2,681 jail beds by 1990. And more than 4,200 more by 2000. Knowing that, it would be callous and insensible to again, as it did seven years ago, be slow to respond to the obvious.