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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Home > Flint News
State: $3M to be used for Genesee County jail space until Flint delivers plan for city lockup
Published: Friday, April 13, 2012, 2:49 PM Updated: Friday, April 13, 2012, 7:52 PM
By Kristin Longley | klongley1@mlive.com
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GENESEE COUNTY, MI -- The Flint area won't have to wait long to see the benefits of the $3 million that Gov. Rick Snyder has approved to open up local jail space.
As soon as Snyder signed the supplemental budget bill on Thursday, the funds were made available to the Michigan Department of Corrections for clearing space in the county jail or for reopening the Flint city lockup, officials said.
All of the $3 million in funding is being funneled through the corrections department.
Corrections spokesman Russ Marlan said the funds, at least for now, will primarily be used to transport and house Genesee County inmates in other jails in Michigan -- an initiative that started last year -- until the city delivers a plan for reopening the lockup.
"The $3 million, the way we're looking at it now, is for a continuation of what we're doing," Marlan said, referring to the inmate transfers. "Should the city want to explore opening the lockup, and put out requests for proposals, then they could tap in to that funding."
Flint emergency manager Michael Brown on Friday said he intends to meet with state officials next week to talk about potential ways for getting the city lockup reopened. He said privatizing jail operation is a possibility, but no decisions have been made.
Reopening the city facility, which is located in the basement of the Flint police department, has also been stressed by Snyder.
"It's absolutely still a priority (of the governor)," Snyder spokesman Terry Stanton said Friday. "The city will be working toward that."
Marlan said the state is currently housing 100 Genesee County inmates in other jails. The previously allotted $1 million for that program ran out in March, he said, but the department continued with the program using other corrections department funds.
"We didn't want to take these 100 prisoners back to the Genesee County Jail and say 'Sorry, that money is out,'" he said. "We wanted to continue the same thing we've been doing since last summer."
Kristin Longley can be reached at 810-429-5333. You can also follow her on Twitter @KristinLongley or subscribe on Facebook.
Whiteone April 13, 2012 at 3:00PM
"As soon as Snyder signed the supplemental budget bill on Thursday, the funds were made available to the Michigan Department of Corrections for clearing space in the county jail or for reopening the Flint city lockup, officials said." Here we go! City Government (Mike Brown) knew about the possibility of this allotment months ago. Therefore, soon as Gov. Snyder signed the bill, the city lock-up plan should have been a go. But nooooo... They are going to drag their feet, while dozens of criminals walk around free and the 3 million mysteriously dissipates.
Kristin Longley | klongley1@mlive.com April 13, 2012 at 3:42PM
Just reached emergency manager Mike Brown, who said he plans to meet with state officials next week on the jail plan. The story has been updated with the new information.
Thanks for reading,
Kristin Longley
The Flint Journal
Whiteone April 13, 2012 at 3:50PM
Well that's good news and a relief! Thank you for updating the article.
Chris Gaines April 13, 2012 at 5:22PM
it would also save alot of money and create double the space, if they were to let the people who commited victimless crimes out of jail and just assign them a probation agent, tether, or whatever applies to the situation. it surprises me and im sure alot of other people this issue hasnt been brought up. put the people who steal, murder, and commit high class felonies rot. we need to make some changes. what are we going to do when the 3M runs out, ask for another, and then another?
leotruth April 13, 2012 at 6:01PM
This is an expensive Band-Aid that will cause more damage than good. With the city jail open, more criminals will be lodged in the county jail. People think that opening the city jail will alleviate overcrowding in the county jail because there is more beds available. This is not the case. Right now the county jail only accepts fresh felonies, domestics, owi’s, and a few other crimes. The problem that officers have is when they want someone off the street that is a low level criminal, the county jail will not accept them. When the city jail is open, all criminals will be lodged there until they go to court. (the city jail can only hold someone for 72 hours). Once they go to court the judge will either make them pay a fine or give them a bond and go to jail. This will force the county jail to accept all of the criminals that would have been turned away, thus putting more criminals in the county jail. No matter how many lock-ups are open, the county jail can only hold 580 inmates. Instead of receiving 15 inmates a day, they will receive 30 to 40 a day. This will cause and overcrowding and the jail will have to release sentenced inmates. Since they are already sending sentenced inmates to other counties, there is going to be a problem when the jail is filled with 100% non sentenced inmates. The jail will not be allowed to release anyone.
Save the City of Flint and Genesee County by stop spending millions on band-aids and start spending millions on building another jail. Even if we have to pay for a millage and build a 1500 bed facility. That is the only real solution.
joilieder April 13, 2012 at 9:20PM
The last time the City Jail was opened it became obvious almost immediately that it was a great tool for police officers. Instead of having to PFI prostitutes, johns and other "lower level" criminals, particularly any woman who committed a crime, the offender had to spend at least one night in lock-up. It did deter certain crimes. Also, the concern of "leotruth" did not occur when the City Jail was open. Police officers need the City Jail and so do the citizens of Flint.
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Fri Apr 13, 2012 9:24 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Governor Snyder requested $4.5 million and got $3 million. The $1.5 million he did not receive was most of the money for the city jail.
The Corrections Department is acknowledging Brown must forr the stste procurement rules and are requiring him to submit bids. Brown does not appear to have done so with his other procurement processes, such as the outsourcing of the golf courses.
Brown knew the governor was seeking this money and yet he had made no plans. Is he really committed to opening the jail?
The $3 million could conceivably continue to be used only for the county jail. The jail was too small when it was built and was smaller than the old jail. theoretically the jail was built so that more units could be added, however that turned out to be impossible. |
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Fri Apr 13, 2012 9:33 pm |
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