Do We Really Need a New County Jail in Downtown Detroit?

**HistoryNotHisStory** · February-20-12, 01:03 PM

Forget the Politics..
Let's talk logic.
Do we the citizens of Wayne County deserves to be hit with the price tag of a $200 million plus prison facility at a time of austerity?

Consider the following:

Pathetic & Bogus Bidding Process. Wayne County knew in advance that they wanted to give the project to Walbridge Aldinger. It is not coincident that WA gets to build new schools, county buildings, etc. Campaign contributions gets you in the door. Follow the money trail. http://www.insidehamtramck.com/2011/...es-under-fire/
Ineptness & Corruption of Bob Ficano and His Administration. In light of the details of the corruption of the Wayne County Executive Office, should this group be allowed to oversee and even be responsible to build this project? I do not think so!
Mound Road Correctional Facility. With the Govenor closing the Mound Road Correctional Facility, the County can save money by utilizing this facility instead of paying $220 million for a new one.
No Report to justify the need for a new prison. The County had no formal study report to justify the spending of $220 million for a new prison.

Let's STOP the madness!

**casscorridor** · February-20-12, 02:27 PM

No new jails. No new prisons. Period.

Mass incarceration is the new Jim Crow and it needs to be stopped.

SteveJ · February-20-12, 02:38 PM

Let them rot in old prisons.

**Zozo** · February-20-12, 03:33 PM

Originally Posted by casscorridor

No new jails. No new prisons. Period.

Mass incarceration is the new Jim Crow and it needs to be stopped.

Have the county send all the criminals to your house. I'm sure you're qualified to rehabilitate them.

**socks_mahoney** · February-20-12, 03:41 PM

Originally Posted by casscorridor

No new jails. No new prisons. Period.

Mass incarceration is the new Jim Crow and it needs to be stopped.

Amen!!!!!!!!!!

**kenp** · February-20-12, 03:43 PM

Originally Posted by HistoryNotHisStory

Forget the Politics..
Let's talk logic.
Do we the citizens of Wayne County deserves to be hit with the price tag of a $200 million plus prison facility at a time of austerity?

Lets can half of Ficano's appointees, that would pay for a new jail

**black gold man** · February-20-12, 03:47 PM

I heard DPD is going to use the new jail . As a quick drop off booking allowing them to get back out on the streets quicker no babysitting prisoners at the precincts and even a medical
jail area to keep DPD out of hospital babysitting service. . And i am sure they will pay for this
service.
BGM

**Jason** · February-20-12, 04:23 PM

Maybe they know that they're going to end up there, so they want to build a nice new facility for themselves?

**Meddle** · February-20-12, 04:31 PM

Isn't there a vacant state prison up on the north side somewhere?

Or did they do something else with that?

**rex** · February-20-12, 04:54 PM

Spend the money instead to educate county residents? curb recidivism? Economic development.
Way more proactive than the current situation which seems to foster a no hope & nothing to lose mentality. An expensive new jail just kinda suggests that the decision makers are forecasting things to get worse.... we know isht is ufct up but instead of treating the cause of the problem lets prepare ourselves for the inevitable outcome. Sucks.

**Scottathew** · February-20-12, 06:22 PM

Originally Posted by casscorridor

Mass incarceration is the new Jim Crow and it needs to be stopped.

Oh please. If you don't want to go to jail, then don't break the law.

However, I most certainly would love to see marijuana decriminalized so that we could free up our courts from legislating morality.

As to the new jail, it wouldn't surprise me at all if the corrupt Wayne County government is making a huge mess of it.

**Wheels** · February-20-12, 06:51 PM

http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/dpp/news...jail-land-deal

Here is Charlies report.

**laphoque** · February-20-12, 07:15 PM

I do see a ton of DPD at Receiving.

**stasu1213** · February-20-12, 08:42 PM

Originally Posted by HistoryNotHisStory

Forget the Politics..
Let's talk logic.
Do we the citizens of Wayne County deserves to be hit with the price tag of a $200 million plus prison facility at a time of austerity?

Consider the following:

Pathetic & Bogus Bidding Process. Wayne County knew in advance that they wanted to give the project to Walbridge Aldinger. It is not coincident that WA gets to build new schools, county buildings, etc. Campaign contributions gets you in the door. Follow the money trail. http://www.insidehamtramck.com/2011/...es-under-fire/
Ineptness & Corruption of Bob Ficano and His Administration. In light of the details of the corruption of the Wayne County Executive Office, should this group be allowed to oversee and even be responsible to build this project? I do not think so!
Mound Road Correctional Facility. With the Govenor closing the Mound Road Correctional Facility, the County can save money by utilizing this facility instead of paying $220 million for a new one.
No Report to justify the need for a new prison. The County had no formal study report to justify the spending of $220 million for a new prison.

Let's STOP the madness!

Who in city government allowed that land to be used to build a jail on? Was it the mayor, the council, or both? Some in the city could be part of this Waynce County corruption also

detroitjim · February-20-12, 09:59 PM

Hell yes! We got to have a fitting monument to Khwammy.
After all , it gonna be name after him.
I spose they needs to get him to spend a few nights in there .
Then put a memorial plack sayin"Khwammy Killpatrik slept here"
Juss like they do for George Warshington.

**BrushStart** · February-20-12, 10:33 PM

The new jail is needed to support the coming police state and consequent prison industrial complex economy. Think of it as an investment in infrastructure for the future!

SteveJ · February-20-12, 10:49 PM

Originally Posted by BrushStart

The new jail is needed to support the coming police state and consequent prison industrial complex economy. Think of it as an investment in infrastructure for the future!

I wish I could say that but its the opposite. They are layoff cops left and right. The rich don't care because they live in a gated community with guards.

**Artie** · February-21-12, 12:33 AM

Yes because these folks want to censor Tiger Stadium Cleanup Crews Ya'll. Don't believe this crew's hype. They're all about the money that isn't there....

"What is UNETS Detroit?"

We always win in Michigan and beyond: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xtl2ZuJpG9M

**cramerro** · February-21-12, 08:31 AM

Originally Posted by stasu1213

Who in city government allowed that land to be used to build a jail on? Was it the mayor, the council, or both? Some in the city could be part of this Waynce County corruption also

If you mean where did they get the land, they bought it from Greektown Casino. If you mean who OK'ed the site plan, well, it's an institutional use so there is only so much the city can do... especially when the DPD is poised to beneift from it and it's adjacent to other jail and court facilities [[i.e. isn't in a neighborhood or residential zoned area).

**ScienceFair** · February-21-12, 09:14 AM

Not saying I support the project, but it's being built to consolidate three other older facilities into one location closer to the courthouse. So all posturing and hysterics aside, it's a logical plan.

**JayKay88** · February-21-12, 09:17 AM

Originally Posted by HistoryNotHisStory

Forget the Politics..
Let's talk logic.
Do we the citizens of Wayne County deserves to be hit with the price tag of a $200 million plus prison facility at a time of austerity?

Let's STOP the madness!

The jail that stands next to Frank Murphy Prosecutors office was poorly designed to be a jail. The way the cells are designed requires one guard to keep watch over EACH cell to maintain proper surveillance. We don't have the money to pay for that many guards, so se don't use a large portion of the jail. I have no idea who designed the thing but it's a train wreck. Provided they learned something from the last time, they would make it so that it is much more cost effective to run.

Now I don't know about the politics behind the jail. There is probably a lot of shade involved, politicians and contractors rarely deal cleanly. But practically speaking, yes, we need a new one. Yes, it's placed in a good location, it minimizes the time it takes to bring an inmate to court. They're probably going to build a tunnel underground that crosses the street into the courthouses.

**Wheels** · February-21-12, 09:37 AM

The state of Michigan just closed a facility on Mound road north of 6 Mile that was just built in 1994.

Why do we need to let that one go to the scrappers and build a new one?

**SWMAP** · February-21-12, 10:02 AM

I believe that it makes a great deal of sense to have the jail near the courthouse for reasons to do with the holding & transfer of prisoners beteeen the courtrooms and the jail. But surely a different solution could be found. Perhaps, as the poster above says, utilize the Mound Road facility for long-term housing and move prisoners to the current downtown jail as they are needed for the courts.

**Hypestyles** · February-21-12, 01:51 PM

allegedly, how many new jobs would this generate, if any?

**old guy** · February-21-12, 03:34 PM

Originally Posted by JayKay88

The jail that stands next to Frank Murphy Prosecutors office was poorly designed to be a jail. The way the cells are designed requires one guard to keep watch over EACH cell to maintain proper surveillance.

Just curious as to what would constitute the need for 1 guard per cell. Don't they have doors on the cells? Most jails utilize camera systems. It seems like they could figure out some sort of camera system that would be cheaper.