News - pcgazette.com

News

Study will look at county jail, court system

The Portage County Board of Supervisors has approved hiring an Atlanta, Ga., firm to conduct a comprehensive Portage County judicial center study.

The county has hired the firm of Mark Goldman and Associates at a price not to exceed $168,680 to complete the comprehensive judicial center assessment study. The County Board approved the firm's selection and the negotiated price when it met Tuesday, March 15, at the Ruth Gilfry Center.

Mark Goldman and Associates will conduct a complete study of the county's jail and court system, said Supervisor Don Jankowski, chairman of the Space and Properties Committee. The study will be completed by September and a final report will be presented to the County Board at its October meeting.

"This is probably the biggest project we've had since the 1950s when we built the courthouse," Jankowski said.

County officials have discussed building a new jail for several years. The current Portage County jail has a rated capacity of 79 inmates, causing the jail to pay for shipping and housing excess inmates in jails in other counties.

A justice center would include the jail, Sheriff's Department, courts and court-related offices. Stevens Point Mayor Gary Wescott and Police Chief Jeff Morris are working with the county during the study phase, Jankowski said, and there is a possibility the Stevens Point Police Department could be located in a new justice center.

To pay for the $168,680 study, $110,000 in funding will come from $110,000 previously set aside in the county's capital projects fund, $33,864 from the jail assessment fund and $24,816 from the county's contingency fund. The jail assessment fund is funded by a surcharge attached to fines paid to the county.

The cost of the study doesn't include finding a site and designing a facility on a selected site.

Picking a site before the study is completed would taint the assessment, Jankowski said.

"We do not have a site at this time," Jankowski said.

At one time Portage County had considered partnering with Wood County to alleviate jail overcrowding, but those discussions went nowhere.

Cooperation with Wood County is a "dead issue," Jankowski said.



	Study will look at county jail, court system The Portage County Board of Supervisors has approved hiring an Atlanta, Ga., firm to conduct a comprehensive Portage County judicial center study. The county has hired the firm of Mark Goldman and Associates at a price not to exceed $168,680 to complete the comprehensive judicial center assessment study. The County Board approved the firm's selection and the negotiated price when it met Tuesday, March 15, at the Ruth Gilfry Center. Mark Goldman and Associates will conduct a complete study of the county's jail and court system, said Supervisor Don Jankowski, chairman of the Space and Properties Committee. The study will be completed by September and a final report will be presented to the County Board at its October meeting. "This is probably the biggest project we've had since the 1950s when we built the courthouse," Jankowski said. County officials have discussed building a new jail for several years. The current Portage County jail has a rated capacity of 79 inmates, causing the jail to pay for shipping and housing excess inmates in jails in other counties. A justice center would include the jail, Sheriff's Department, courts and court-related offices. Stevens Point Mayor Gary Wescott and Police Chief Jeff Morris are working with the county during the study phase, Jankowski said, and there is a possibility the Stevens Point Police Department could be located in a new justice center. To pay for the $168,680 study, $110,000 in funding will come from $110,000 previously set aside in the county's capital projects fund, $33,864 from the jail assessment fund and $24,816 from the county's contingency fund. The jail assessment fund is funded by a surcharge attached to fines paid to the county. The cost of the study doesn't include finding a site and designing a facility on a selected site. Picking a site before the study is completed would taint the assessment, Jankowski said. "We do not have a site at this time," Jankowski said. At one time Portage County had considered partnering with Wood County to alleviate jail overcrowding, but those discussions went nowhere. Cooperation with Wood County is a "dead issue," Jankowski said.