Jail may get relief from female crowd
Tuesday, May 11, 2005
A state plan for temporary and permanent women's facilities may mean 30 McCracken inmates will leave soon.
Picture by: MATT SANDERS/The Sun
Women's section at McCracken jail overflowing: On Tuesday, 24 female inmates were being held in this McCracken County Regional Jail dormitory that was designed for 15 inmates. Nine beds were placed on the floor next to the 15 bunks.
Wednesday, May 11, 2005
By Bill Bartleman bbartleman@paducahsun.com--270.575.8651
McCracken County Jailer Cliff Gill may soon be getting some relief from serious overcrowding in the women's section of the county jail.
Gill has 30 women there awaiting transfer to the state's only women's prison at Pewee Valley in Shelby County. The 30 here are among 280 state inmates who are in county jails throughout the state.
State officials either today or Thursday will announce a plan to help address a shortage of beds for women prisoners.
The first step will take place next week when about 100 minimum-security female inmates will be moved to the state's new prison in Elliott County, according to Corrections Commissioner John Rees. That temporary move will help prepare the new prison for 800 male inmates who will transfer there in late July.
Rees also said the Department of Corrections will solicit proposals for a permanent facility to house 400 female inmates. "We have a critical situation because of the lack of space for housing women," Rees said in an interview Tuesday while visiting western Kentucky. "We want those permanent beds ready by Sept. 1."
Robbie Rudolph, secretary of the Finance and Administration Cabinet, said the requests for proposals will be made public today or Thursday. Rees and Rudolph said bids will be accepted for a private women's facility or for another state or government agency to offer the space at a per-day cost.
Rees said the only female prisoners transferred from county jails to Pewee Valley over the last 15 months have been those with health issues, such as a pregnancy or mental problems, or those who are considered a security risk.
Pewee Valley houses an average of 695 female inmates. On Tuesday, 280 women had been convicted of felonies and were in county jails waiting to be transferred to state custody.
Gill said 30 of the 81 female prisoners in his jail are state prisoners. "We haven't transferred a female inmate to the state since last November," Gill said. He said it's creating overcrowding in the women's section of the jail that opened 13 years ago.
"The women's section is designed to hold about 35, and we have 81 in there right now," Gill said. The other 51 are charged with crimes and are awaiting trial.
Gill said it is more difficult to deal with female prisoners because of health issues and other problems. "I'd rather deal with 800 men than 80 women," Gill said. "They don't do as well when they are together ... they have more gripes and more complaints."
Rees said that statewide, the number of female prisoners has been increasing at an annual rate of 21 percent, while the male population has been increasing by 15 percent.
McCracken Commonwealth Attorney Tim Kaltenbach said the increase in female inmates is related to an increase in their involvement in drug-related crimes. He also said that it seems more difficult for women to overcome drug addictions than it is for men.
Rees said that the 100 women housed in Elliott County will be gone when the 800 male prisoners arrive in July. "We won't be mixing the men and the women," he said. He added that 100 is the capacity of a minimum security unit in Elliott County.
The women will remain in Elliott County until the 400 beds are available at a second women's facility, hopefully on Sept. 1, Rees said.
He said he wasn't sure what proposals the state will receive, but said a former private prison in Kentucky known as Otter Creek isn't being used. He added that some nearby states that have empty beds for women might submit proposals.
Rees said that other beds will be made available for female prisoners at new facilities operated by counties. Those include a 50-bed drug rehabilitation unit in Hardin County and a 35-bed facility in Casey County.
