Thinking outside the box
It's good to know Marion County Sheriff Lee Becker hasn't given up on the idea of a commercial jail. So many times ideas are dismissed or die from lack of serious consideration.
Becker hasn't let go of the idea. In fact, he's thinking outside the box. He's been researching options that will provide a commercial jail without costing the county millions of dollars.
Becker's newest proposal, a prefabricated modular structure made of steel, is worthy of serious discussion. Preliminary figures show the facility would cost the county about $600,000, as opposed to a $2-$4 million bricks-and-mortar jail facility.
We don't want to build an "economy" jail facility, that's true. If we're going to build a commercial jail, we should do it right the first time. However, Becker's suggestion is a viable alternative to the multimillion dollar idea.
His proposal isn't "the way we've always done it." It could be the county should look at something a little more untraditional — maybe something outside the box.
— DONNA BERNHARDT
