Towns Ask For Hold On County Jail
As the recession worsens, some New Hampshire towns are asking Grafton County to hold off on plans to build a new jail.
With at least 15 towns calling for a delay in construction of a new county jail, two of the three Grafton County Commissioners last week said they are open to scaling back the size of the $38 million project. But, they said, the existing facility, which includes sections that are more than 110 years old and is often overcrowded, still needs to be replaced soon … The current jail was designed to hold about 70 inmates but often sees its headcount top 100. A new 108,000-square-foot, 206-bed jail was narrowly approved by the county delegation — comprising House members from Grafton County — last winter, but the jail project has been temporarily stalled by a court case challenging the vote on the construction bond. A Superior Court judge upheld the vote, but the plaintiffs might appeal. Besides reducing overcrowding, the new facility would also have space for substance-abuse treatment programs and other activities corrections officials say are critical to reducing recidivism …
“I am willing to compromise a bit on the size of the jail, because I just feel so strongly we need this new facility now,” added Commissioner Martha Richards, a Holderness Democrat. “If we can knock off a few million here and there with some changes, I’m all for that. But I will not in one iota change that mental health unit we need so badly.” The third commissioner, Bath Republican Ray Burton, said he was opposed to delaying the project but said the jail plans are “an ongoing process”. “In my opinion, (the existing) jail is not a safe facility for the number of inmates that are put in there by the court,” Burton said.
The article in the Valley News contains a fuller account.