An unwelcome record at Howard County jail

Local News

Discussion

June 23, 2009

The number of inmates at the jail tops 370

By KEN de la BASTIDE The Kokomo Tribune Tue Jun 23, 2009, 11:40 PM EDT

It is a record that Howard County Sheriff Marty Talbert didn’t want to break – the number of inmates at the jail hit a new all-time high over the weekend.

Talbert said the number of inmates reached 379 over the weekend and was at 371 on Monday, including 63 women. That number matches the old record in a jail built in 1993 to house 324 inmates.

Last month Harold Vincent, commander of the Howard County jail, said the Sheriff Department was considering housing inmates in other counties to reduce the population.

“We’re not housing inmates in other counties,” Talbert said Tuesday. “My biggest concern is the cost.

“If I don’t have to do it, I don’t want to,” he said of moving inmates to other counties.

It would cost Howard County $35 per day for each inmate housed in another county, which doesn’t include the transportation costs.

Talbert said if just 10 inmates were housed in another county, the cost would be $350 per day and $10,500 per month. He said the yearly cost would be $126,000.

When U.S. Marshals were in Kokomo in May to serve warrants, Talbert said the department did some pre-planning to ease the overcrowding at the jail.

“We will soon be at that point, where we have to house inmates in another county,” he said. “With the hot summer months, the number of inmates will peak out. The problem will not go away.”

Talbert said a new 225-bed jail is scheduled to open in Miami County in November, and it’s possible some of the women prisoners could be transferred to that facility.

“That is a whole new operation for them,” Talbert said of the new Miami County facility. “It will be the first time for them that the jail is located outside of the downtown area. I’m sure they will want some time to get the operation running smoothly.”

Talbert said some Howard County officials believe the new Miami County facility will be a source of relief for the overcrowding problem, but he is not sure that will be the case.

Talbert said he has recommended building a circular pod with a capacity to house between 200 and 250 inmates. He said the pod would be built in two sections and one could remain closed until needed.

He would like the design to be similar to the one used in Miami County, where the pods could be separated into individual units for between 10 and 20 inmates, and correctional officers would be able to observe both sections from a raised central observation point.

“I’m sure it would cost several million dollars,” Talbert said. “We would have to see if the kitchen and laundry facilities needed to be expanded.”

Talbert said a work release center would not resolve the overcrowding problem. He said, as of Monday, there were 35 inmates serving Howard County sentences and perhaps 18 had a job.

“They would only be out of the jail during the day,” he said.

The Howard County Criminal Justice Coordinating Committee (HCCJCC) two years ago received a presentation from American Structurepoint that called for the expansion of the existing Howard County jail to 620 or 820 beds at a cost ranging from $13.4 to $35.5 million.

The HCCJCC met earlier this month to renew discussions concerning the jail overcrowding problem. It has not met since prior to the May 2008 primary election.

“We are going to continue to struggle with our numbers, partially due to the economy, along with the typical increase in jail population we experience during the hot summer months,” Talbert said

• Ken de la Bastide is the Kokomo Tribune enterprise editor. He can be reached at (765) 454-8580 or via e-mail at ken.delabastide@kokomotribune.com.

Text Only | Photo Reprints

Local News

Entire U.S. 31 corridor now under contract
Every segment of the 13.1-mile, U.S. 31 Kokomo Corridor is now officially under construction.

May 25, 2012 1 Photo
Northwestern to graduate 130 seniors
Peyton Hite ended her last day in high school by going home and washing sheep.

“It’s part of living on a farm,” she said, with a laugh.

May 25, 2012
Drugs, cash seized, four arrested
Police from four agencies seized heroin, pills, syringes and cash, and arrested four people this week after a raid on a house on East Street, according to police reports.

May 25, 2012 1 Photo
Lafayette job fair expects Kokomo hopefuls
Organizers of a Lafayette job fair next week are reaching out to Kokomo residents looking for work.

May 25, 2012
Deputy prosecutor facing two charges
A Howard County deputy prosecutor will face two drunken-driving charges in connection with a traffic stop in Cicero.

May 25, 2012
Governor honors student
A Northwestern High School senior achieved a milestone Thursday when he became the first Indiana student ever to win both of the state’s top science awards.

May 25, 2012 1 Photo
Taylor considering staff reductions
A decline in enrollment has forced Taylor School Corp. to consider staff reductions, but the board won’t vote on the issue until next week, officials said Thursday.

May 25, 2012
Schools among top 20 in Indiana
Three area schools were ranked among the top 20 in Indiana this year by U.S. News and World Report.

Tri-Central Middle/High School, Eastern Junior-Senior High School and Tipton High School all made the list, which was an evaluation of 379 high schools across the state.

May 25, 2012
Library starts iPad rental program
Apple can’t make enough iPads to satisfy demand, but the Kokomo-Howard County Public Library now owns 15 iPad2 units.

Thursday, social media-conscious library patrons scrambled to borrow the tablet computers, on the first official day of the library’s iPad lending program.

May 25, 2012 1 Photo
Gov. names NW student 'Mr. Science' for 2012
Tyler Barnes becomes first Indiana student to be named Indiana's Top Young Scientist and Mr. Science.

May 24, 2012
More Local News Headlines

Local News

Search Results

Discussion

An unwelcome record at Howard County jail

The number of inmates at the jail tops 370

Site Map

Contact Us