kwch.com/news/factfinder12/kwch-mbp-reno-county-hopes-for-new-jail-20111120,0,7390517.story
By Melody Pettit
KWCH 12 Eyewitness News
9:47 PM CST, November 20, 2011
(HUTCHINSON, Kan.)
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Times have changed since the Reno County Jail was built in 1971 but from the look inside, the building has not.
"Is now a good time? I'm not sure how much longer we can wait," said Reno County Sheriff Randy Henderson.
Sheriff Henderson tried to get a new jail five years ago, but it didn't pass. He says they needed it badly then, now it's even more imperative.
"It's very frustrating," he said.
That's why he's opening up his facility to the public, giving them a tour so they can see for themselves what it's like.
"It wouldn't be a place I would want to live in," said one resident who was taking the tour.
While there are numerous issues with the building the biggest problem is over-crowding. They have to pay expensive rates to drive and house their inmates somewhere else. Another problem is the condition of the 40-year old building. Bad plumbing means sewage in the main air ducts.
"It's sad that our employees have to put up with what they do. The odor alone turns your stomach and they have to be in in twelve hours straight," said Sheriff Henderson.
The building doesn't meet legal requirements, that means inmates can and have sued the County.
"We're very hopeful this time. We need to get people in to see what we're facing," said Sheriff Henderson.
But even if they do, there's the matter of paying the millions of taxpayer dollars it's going to take in a less than friendly economy. But the Sheriff hopes the tour showed them its money worth spending.
The Reno County Sheriff hopes to have the proposed jail on the ballot next November. While they are still in the beginning planning stages, they say it will probably cost more than 21 million dollars. That's what it would have cost in 2006 when they first wanted to build a new jail. They hope to pay for it with a sales tax.
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