Committees hear call for new justice center

• Jail

A joint law enforcement/building committee heard the call for a new Pierce County Justice Center June 7. The Pierce County Jail was built in 1968 and is badly outdated. -- Photo by Jason Schulte

Talk about it

Twelve years ago, the Pierce County Board of Supervisors dismissed a request for a new justice center, stating all options to cut costs were not studied and county residents were unable to afford the increase in taxes.

Now, as the jail is getting older and further outdated, the topic was revived again in front of a joint law enforcement/building committee meeting.

Mike Clark from the DLR Group/KKE Architects gave an analysis in a 30-minute presentation of the Pierce County Jail today and into the future.

Law Enforcement Committee Chairman Jim Ross said this analysis stemmed from a 2011 study of the Courthouse which, among other things, highlighted: overcrowding in every department, split departments, lack of public waiting space and security of public records.

But the jail received the harshest criticisms as, among others, lack of suitable housing for high-risk inmates, no recreation or exercise space, lack of units to house inmates per classification and the location of its dispatch were at the top of the list from the state inspector.

For more please read the June 20 print version of the Herald.

Tags: crime and courts, news, crime, wisconsin