Third time’s the charm?

By JODI HAUSEN Chronicle Staff Writer

The Gallatin County Detention Center was an antiquated design when it was built in 1981, Dennis Liebert, a correctional facility designer recently told members of a local jail committee. In a third attempt to raise funds for a new jail, county commissioners are asking voters to approve a $32 million bond on November’s ballot.

SEAN SPERRY/CHRONICLE A jail inmate watches TV in the Gallatin County Jail. But, as in the past, not everyone is behind the proposal.

Bozeman attorney Derik Pomeroy said he isn’t opposed to a new jail and, in fact, spent more on an advertisement in the Chronicle to invite people to a meeting about the initiative than he would pay in taxes if the bond passes. But he feels the proposal is too expansive and expensive.

“I know the facility is too small and is inadequate; I know that,” Pomeroy said. “But the current proposal is exorbitantly expensive.”

He points to two failed proposals and other jails in the state.

In 2002, an $18.3 million bond for a 144-bed facility was resoundingly rejected 3 to 1 by Gallatin County voters. A $20 million bond in 2005 also failed, although by a slimmer margin.

Pomeroy noted that the 358-bed Great Falls jail built in 1998 cost $16.8 million and Missoula’s 396-bed facility was constructed in 1999 for $24 million. Even with 50 percent inflation over the past 10 years, a new 160-bed facility should still come in at under $20 million, he said. And there’s no need for such a large facility.

“Neither a large jail nor long sentences will make this community safer,” he said. “It’s close to twice what it should cost. Until they come up with a facility that is less expensive, I think the voters should continue to oppose it.”

Bill Martel, proposed contractor for the new jail, served on the 2002 jail committee. He built Missoula’s jail for $137 per square foot and, in 2002, estimated Gallatin County’s proposal would have cost about $180 per square foot. That bond was inflated by about $5 million, he had said.

But at a forum Wednesday, Martel attributed the current proposal’s costs to changes in building codes and contended that inflation has grown 10 percent every year over the past 10.

Comparing Great Falls or Missoula’s costs to the Gallatin County proposal may not be entirely fair either, said Tony Martel, Bill’s son who works with the company. Construction for the proposed jail is $27 million - the total project cost is $37 million including $6 million for furniture, fixtures and equipment, he said. It is unclear if the quoted costs for the other jails include furnishings.

Officials also say that the initial $18 million proposal was based on a concept drawing rather than actual plans. About $1 million was spent this time for consultants to conduct studies, prepare drawings and compute actual costs. That price tag is guaranteed and commissioners say they will not ask voters for more funding later.

According to a tax calculator on the county Web site (jailvote.info), if the bond passes, residents with a home worth $100,320 in taxable value will incur an additional $37.53 on their annual tax bill.

That may not sound excessive, but Roger Mortenson, a 33-year resident of Gallatin County, said he is worried. Mortenson, 61, is disabled, lives on a fixed income and has a $400 monthly healthcare bill, he said. Like Pomeroy, he understands the need to address jail overcrowding.

“We need this jail but we can’t afford it,” he said. “We’re going into a depression. I took a whipping (in stocks) and I’m very concerned. A lot of people are going to lose jobs. How will they pay for their medical costs?”

“Justice delayed is justice denied”

The current jail houses an average 62 inmates daily but was built for 39. It has six cellblocks - one for maximum security with eight cells, administrator Lt. Brian Gootkin said.

Other inmates are often housed two, sometimes three, in cells designed for single occupancy. Those double-bunking sleep in plastic “boats” with mattresses on the floor, leaving little or no floor space.

In 2003 the American Civil Liberties Union threatened to sue Gallatin County over conditions, including overcrowding. Many of those issues were rectified and the lawsuit was never filed. However, representatives from the ACLU have recently been taking another look at the facility, Cashell said.

Sightlines in the current jail are terrible and a safety issue, Gootkin said. From a hallway window, officers cannot see into cells or even an entire pod. Cameras aren’t sufficient either - a control room with monitors is out of sight of cellblocks.

“(Prisoners) own that block,” Gootkin said. “I don’t know what’s happening when I go in there.”

The current situation is a liability, not only in the threat of a lawsuit, but also in insurance costs. It just isn’t safe for officers or inmates, Gootkin said.

The proposed facility is designed for direct supervision whereby officers are in pods with inmates and the entire facility is visible from a control room.

“The easiest way to think about it is like a classroom,” Cashell said. “Currently staff is teaching through the door. With direct supervision, we’re putting the teacher in the room with the students.”

With overcrowding, the community is also at risk, officials say.

Police say drunk drivers are often cited and released just to be found the same night driving while intoxicated again. In 2007, only 492 of 2,419 people charged with criminal or serious traffic offenses were detained, Bozeman police said. And because there’s no place for arrestees, an average of 1,100 warrants from Bozeman Municipal Court simply go unserved. More than 50 people are waiting to serve sentences.

The situation is known on the streets.

An inadequate jail affects the attitudes of criminals, Cashell said. “They know there is no way to hold them. The biggest effect is on first-time offenders. The only way to get their attention is with that empty jail bed.”

“We’re sending out the wrong message - that the inn is full,” David Bennett, another jail consultant, said.

“(Judges) are wearing the handcuffs, not the offenders,” said Bozeman Police Chief Mark Tymrak.

Inefficiencies and the future

Consultants say the new jail’s efficiencies will save money in the long run.

Although the new jail will increase capacity fourfold, less than twice the number of additional officers will be needed, significantly reducing operational costs, Gootkin said.

Control room visibility and direct supervision requires fewer officers and is a more proactive approach to corrections, he said.

The county spent more than $400,000 last year to house on average 22 inmates each day in Townsend and that promises to increase, Cashell said. That doesn’t include transportation.

Gallatin County has grown more than 100 percent since 1980, said Larry Watson, grants and projects administrator for the county.

And the area continues to grow, he said. Officials project that the population of Gallatin County will surge to more than 118,000 by 2017 - an increase of 36 percent.

The current facility simply cannot meet future needs and costs to build one will only increase if it isn’t done now, said Liebert, who has been a corrections consultant for 20 years.

He noted that in 1980 a jail would have cost about $135 to $150 per square foot. Current costs range from $300 to $450, he said.

“There’s nothing intrinsic in this design to make it more expensive,” he said. “The important fact about these numbers is that it’s a guaranteed maximum price. If they wait, the price will go up.”

Jodi Hausen can be reached at jhausen@dailychronicle.com or 582-2630.

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