By William Sapien
Sandoval County Commission Chairman
GUEST COLUMN: It's seldom that benefits of any massive, complex undertaking far exceed expectations in ways that few could have imagined beforehand. It's rarer still that a seemingly routine construction project goes beyond the "bricks and mortar" to serve as a strong stimulus for both the economy and public safety while also performing a basic function of government.
That is exactly the case with the newly completed expansion of the Sandoval County Detention Center, a state-of-the-art facility that serves as a concrete, real-life example of what government can and should accomplish with prudent use of taxpayer money.
After years of planning and construction, the center's new secure area is open for the business of providing safe and secure lockup of inmates, people either being held for a variety of jurisdictions or awaiting trials on charges ranging from traffic infractions to capital crimes. In sharp contrast to jail projects elsewhere, the county's project was completed on time and right at the budget established by voters, who overwhelmingly approved a $7.5 million bond for the project in late 2002.
The 52,000-square-foot expansion effectively doubles the size of the facility, adding 192 beds to the center's previous 194-bed capacity. It includes a modern kitchen capable of cooking up to 1,500 meals daily and provides more secure and efficient inmate intake, medical and visitation areas.
Beyond the construction statistics, however, Detention Center Director Jerry Paszkiewicz and his highly trained and dedicated staff are to be commended. On their watch, the center has become an efficient model for safety and a prominent economic factor.
The center now employs 120 people, including 35 new employees who were hired as the "best of the best" during extensive recruitment and selection processes last fall. After extensive pre-employment scrutiny, the newly hired employees underwent equally intensive training. With a payroll exceeding $4.3 million annually, including benefits, the center is both a major area employer and stimulus to the county's economy.
Even more importantly, the center's expansion serves as a model of security for inmates, employees and the general public. Advance technology, including touch-screen controls for doors and locks and localized controls for individual jail cell doors, greatly improve safety of inmates and personnel. Likewise, the center's control rooms allow correction officers to have constant eyes-on contact with inmates. Food tray slots allow for secure feeding of more violent inmates and, if absolutely necessary, tear gas dispensers in ceilings can be used to quell disturbances and restore order.
The additional space in itself is a key aspect of enhanced safety, as it allows the center to more adequately classify and house inmates according to the severity of charges. In that way, people being held on traffic violations or awaiting trial for relatively "soft" charges can be more safely housed away from hardcore or violent offenders. Even those of us who profess hard-line, "tough on crime" attitudes can appreciate the benefits of not having a son or daughter charged on a traffic stop being held in the same area as those awaiting sentencing on violent crimes.
The expansion also positions county taxpayers for the future. Included in the project are rough-outs for utilities and water and sewer lines as well as plans for additional modules to be constructed as required to keep pace with the county's accelerated rate of growth. Such "above and beyond" attention to details is seen throughout the expansion so that any future construction costs can be kept as reasonable as possible without compromising the safety and security of the facility.
While the Detention Center is the one county facility taxpayers may never wish to visit firsthand, providing a secure incarceration facility is a basic function of government. Making that facility as safe and efficient as possible is a requirement of prudent government and dedicated employees.
Questions or comments for Commissioner Sapien can be mailed to him, in care of Sandoval County Administrative Offices, P.O. Box 40, Bernalillo, NM 87004.
E-mail Story
Print Friendly
