Results from jail assessment released

Results from an assessment conducted on the Lake County Jail in Polson have been released, reiterating what most officials and citizens already know.

The National Institute of Corrections released its findings following a visit late last year.

During the visit, NIC conducted surveys with officials and inmates, toured the facility and held a town hall meeting in December.

The 82-page assessment, which is available on the Lake County website, includes a slide show presented at the town hall meeting.

Many of the same concerns are acknowledged in the assessment as were outlined during a 2007 tour of the facility.

“Problems identified in that technical assistance activity continue and have gotten progressively worse,” the document states on page 58.

Lake County Sheriff Don Bell requested the tour and assessment from NIC, which is free of charge, with the goal for the county to start working on problems previously identified by NIC.

Lake County Commissioner Gale Decker responded to the results by email, stating that the report informed officials of what they already know, but that their hands are tied for the time being.

“We are well aware of the deficiencies in our present jail, but until a source of funding other than property taxes is brought forward we can’t do a lot of planning for a new facility.”

Now, Bell said he hopes that as county residents read the assessment, they’ll “encourage” county commissioners to have a new assessment detailing how many beds the county needs.

Capacity at the jail is 46, and the number of inmates housed at the facility ranges to about 50, Bell has stated in the past.

Decker suggested that the county look protocol other counties have established “to divert people from jail” rather than adding another levy to the ballot.

Building a new facility with more beds would also mean additional costs for more detention officers and daily operations, Decker noted.

Decker pointed out that the county has had a 25 percent average raise in property taxes in place the last two years.

Doubling that average “would force people out of their homes and off their properties,” he explained, adding that last fall, the county sent out 900 delinquent tax notices, and “some of our people have reached the breaking point” with making ends meet.

Bell explained that he anticipates the next assessment should determine how many beds would be needed in a few facility, whether the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes “pull out of” Public Law 280.

The federal statute allows states to assume jurisdiction in criminal and civil matters on reservations.

A copy of the NIC assessment can be viewed at http://www.lakemt.gov/sheriff/Media.html