Gage County kicks off public input process, for detention center needs

BEATRICE – Nearly 90 persons attended a public town hall session Wednesday night, on the topic of Gage County detention center needs. It was one of two sessions being held this week at the Beatrice High School Hevelone Center…the second one scheduled for Friday night, at seven p.m.

County officials are seeking input for a proposal to upgrade or replace the county’s 1977 detention facility with a jail facility and law enforcement center that the public would support.

"It's about what your concerns are...it's about what your questions are...so as we move through this process, we're coming back to have conversations to both help you understand where we're trying to go...but also to inform and educate where it needs to go."

Jeff Layne, of Topeka, Kansas…is an architect with Treanor…which has been involved with over 25 detention centers in Kansas and a handful in Nebraska. One of the key problems facing Gage County’s linear jail is the lack of direct observation while supervising inmates.

"Sight lines, the ability for staff to see individuals in those cells and create a safe and secure space, both for the staff and for the in-custody folks...is very, very difficult. You can see how outdated this is. The sight lines are not there."

Those at the town hall were able to view a more than four-minute video tour of the Gage County Jail’s interior, showing the overall conditions and limitations for booking and holding prisoners. Because of space limitations, the county frequently pays to hold inmates at other jails in Nebraska and Kansas.

As for a potential location, Layne says the discussion is not that far along, yet.

"We haven't thought about location, if it's a new facility....or whether we renovate existing space. But the idea is to design an efficient location...for staff to get to....sheriff's staff to move to and city folks to come and bring in-custody folks to it....the ability to be at a place where roads are right there...those types of things are really, really important. The other part that we talked about from an efficiency standpoint, is how do we get folks from the jail that you currently have, to the courthouse.(for hearings)"

Townhall participants were given the opportunity to provide specific ideas and areas of concern… and to complete a survey. Among key input factors were jail location, public safety, juvenile holding, adequate size, possible funding through sales tax revenue and more efficient booking of prisoners, among others.

The Gage County Sheriff’s Office and Detention Center Staff plan to offer public tours of the current jail, March 21st and 22nd…from 1 p.m. until 5 p.m. each day.