How much longer will it be before the cost of defending (and settling) lawsuits associated with the Northumberland County Prison exceed the construction bills to build a new jail? The jail is the focus of three lawsuits: a classaction that suggests conditions in the facility are "medieval"; a civil rights case filed by a former Milton man who claims he was thrown down the steps of the prison when he tried to report for a stint in jail; and a wrongful dismissal claim filed by a former deputy warden who says he was targeted because he made critical comments in the newspaper.
The merits of those cases will be determined by the legal system, but the pattern is clear even if all the questions about the shenanigans at the jail remain unanswered.
Some of the prison's problems have been resolved by the change in management with the appointment last summer of Warden Roy Johnson.
No matter who runs the prison, the facility is still 133-years-old, which may not be exactly “medieval,” but it is still far short of modern.
For all its warts, the county prison has one charm for county officials — it is relatively inexpensive to operate. Northumberland County spent under $3.4 million operating the jail in 2008. That amounts to roughly $43 a day, per inmate.
When it comes to budgeting, a cheap, medieval prison is an easier pill to swallow.
Until a judge comes along and declares that the county has run afoul of a little document called the Constitution.
Meanwhile, Snyder County's prison is operating at two-thirds capacity — and paying $87 a day to house each inmate, because of it. Union County has almost as many inmates housed in other county's prisons as it does in the Lewisburg jail, according to Department of Corrections records.
Let's review: One prison is outdated with little obvious room for expansion; another is too small; and a third is under-capacity and stands all by itself in a country field.
Regional jail discussions have never progressed past the initial, vague agreeement that the idea is worth exploring. And yet, no one bothers to explore it. All three counties could benefit from a joint facility. Northumberland County — with its checkered history and legal target on its back — is the obvious choice to take the lead.
Editorials
Jail plan ought to move forward
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Santorum's message starting to resonate
The success of U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum this week in Minnesota, Colorado and Missouri suggests he may be the candidate who can provide a serious challenge to Romney in the race for the nomination. Mitt Romney has repeatedly failed to solidify his position as front-runner or to sufficiently energize the conservative base of the GOP.
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Rush to merge needs explanation
Previously, Northumberland had its sewer plant and Point Township was a customer of that plant. There would seem to be pretty clear advantages for Point Township to make the jump from customer to partner.
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Measuring success of merged force
The justification for merging the police departments of East Buffalo Township and Lewisburg seems clear, but officials must carefully measure progress to make sure the combined police department is measuring up.
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When zealots take the wheel
Twice last week, we saw a groundswell of everyday democracy reject the incursion of polarizing politics into the health and well being of ordinary Americans. In both instances, mainstream media, social media and religious networks mobilized such a broad swath of the American people that it was clear we can unify across all kinds of boundaries when fundamental beliefs are challenged by ideologues.
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Cheers and jeers
Cheers: To Kathy Keiper, of Sunbury, will be honored as Sunbury's Citizen of the Year by the Rotary Club next month. Keiper was selected for her long service as a volunteer at the Sunbury YMCA and at Nottingham Village near Northumberland.
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Hynoski's super rookie season
The (Southern Columbia) Tigers also are set to unleash freshman Henry Hynoski, who is already listed at 6 feet and 200 pounds, and is being talked about as the same type of impact player in the program as Jerry Marks and Ricco Rosini were.
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