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Jail Addition for Pasco Might Get Done

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By Carl  Orth | The Suncoast News

Published: September 12, 2007

NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. - NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. - Barring unforeseen circumstances, a desperately needed jail addition could open early in 2009, county officials learned recently.

Only one problem: The extra space is needed now to relieve overcrowding of inmates.

Nearly 300 prisoners have to sleep in temporary bedding at the latest count Friday, members of the Public Safety Coordinating Council were told.

The council includes County Commission Chairwoman Ann Hildebrand, Sheriff Bob White, State Attorney Bernie McCabe, several judges, the public defender's office and other leaders.

The average jail population during the second quarter was slightly above 1,284 inmates per day, Sheriff's Office reports show.

That's 28 percent more than the two county jails were built to hold. The larger jail is in Land O' Lakes while the much smaller jail is in New Port Richey.

The county could face federal sanctions if the overcrowding gets much worse.

A temporary, prefabricated building with some 118 beds that opened recently already is almost full at the central jail, Major Brian Head from the Sheriff's Office pointed out.

Enough room might be found at the central jail site to put up another prefab, temporary building, Head reported. The last resort is to ship prisoners here to rented jail space in other counties.

Hildebrand repeated that commissioners prefer to build all three floors of the permanent jail addition.

The addition originally was designed for two floors, but officials feared the 512 beds would be filled by the time the addition opened. Architects were asked to redraw plans to put on a third floor.

The most recent estimate of the cost for the new jail building jumps from about $15 million to about $20 million if the third floor is built.

Construction could start as soon as January, Dan Johnson, Pasco's assistant county administrator for public services, told the council.

After numerous delays, Frank James, county facilities management director, was reluctant to predict when the project might conclude.

However, negotiations with the contractor, Peter R. Brown Construction Inc., could wrap up by next week, James said. The Clearwater-based firm won the bidding on Aug. 2.

The project is expected to take about 14 months, Johnson said. With some luck, it could possibly be wrapped up within a year.

"That is cautiously optimistic," Hildebrand said with a chuckle.

County officials have another tough nut to crack: finding the money to pay salaries for 60 more jail deputies and workers by the time the permanent addition opens in 2009.

Salaries, benefits and equipment could amount to about $3.6 million for the 60 extra staff members, commissioners were told at a Sept. 5 meeting.

State property tax reforms already took a $15 million bite out of the next Pasco County budget that starts Oct. 1.

At least commissioners will have until October 2008 to figure out where to find a spare $3.6 million for the fiscal 2009 budget.

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