Lee Buchanan
editor@thefranklinpress.com
When the results of a space needs study were unveiled at the Nov. 12 meeting of the Macon County Board of Commissioners, it was hardly a surprise to see the crowded jail at the top of the list.
What Moseley Architects proposed, however, was much more ambitious – a 147,300-square-foot justice center complex that would bring the county’s law enforcement and justice facilities under one roof.
The complex would house courtrooms, the Macon County Sheriff’s Office, the district attorney’s office, along with offices for the clerk of court and other functions housed in the current courthouse. It would also be the home of a new 67,000-square-foot detention center capable of housing up to 300 inmates.
Law enforcement and justice officials note that it’s an ambitious proposal, and county commissioners are waiting for more details before discussing it. And the proposal didn’t come with a price tag. But they see merit in putting those facilities under one roof.
“It’s a wonderful idea, if the county can afford it,” said Superior Court Judge William Coward. “It would mean better security and efficiency for the proper administration of justice.”
Courthouse security upgrades coming
In April, county commissioners approved a plan proposed by a committee formed to address security shortcomings at the courthouse. The project was budgeted at the time at a total of $574,922, spread over two fiscal years.
Security enhancements include new computer monitoring equipment, X-ray machines, panic buttons, metal detectors and additional courthouse personnel.
The courthouse committee identified one critical need – a fenced-in sally port to increase security when inmates are transferred from the courthouse to the jail.
“That’s a dire need and was one of the major discussion points,” said Coward, who served on the committee. “A sally port would be for not only protecting the public from escapees, but also protecting deputies transporting prisoners and to protect the prisoners.”
The need for more secure prisoner transfer came into focus on Nov. 19 when Kaitlin Fitzgibbons fled while being moved to a transit van. She was captured three days later and is now in the detention center charged with felony escape and other offenses.
“Ms. Fitzgibbons just perfectly illustrated [the need for a sally port] to everyone,” Coward said.
Holland said the first phase of improving courthouse security is near completion.
“X-ray machines and metal detectors are currently being installed, and officers will be trained in using that equipment,” he said.
The space needs study called for much more than a sally port, and sheriff Robert Holland backs the idea of a centralized justice center.
“Combining the courthouse, sheriff’s office and all that pertains to the judicial system is wise,” Holland said. “It’s why you see it more times than not in new facilities. It just makes sense, and in the long run you will see less resources having to be utilized, all of which cost money to provide.”
For now, a new justice center is only an idea. The improvements recommended by the security committee and currently being implemented are needed immediately, Holland said. But those improvements recommended by the courthouse security committee represent just a patch on the wider problems.
Needs at the jail
One of the top needs addressed in the space needs study is capacity at the detention center.
The current jail was built in 1999 and designed to house 75 inmates. The detention center doesn’t exceed capacity, but only because inmates are taken to other facilities. Holland said, he is forced to transfer a daily average of about 25 inmates to other facilities. And in Western North Carolina, there is little jail space available.
“Every detention center in Western North Carolina has been at capacity this week,” Holland said Monday. “We all call one another to see if we can house a prisoner or two for one reason or another.”
“We have two 24-man, dormitory-style rooms and one dormitory with 12 females,” Holland said.
The jail also contains six lockdown cells that house two inmates per cell, along with “a couple of isolation cells for sick or suicidal inmates,” he said.
Currently, 12 of those inmates are serving Department of Corrections sentences. The rest are in jail on pending court cases.
The average stay for inmates is about 45 days, but there are suspects charged in sex offense and murder cases that have been incarcerated for over two years, Holland said.
District attorney Ashley Welch said she is “very excited” about the justice complex proposal. While security is paramount, the current courthouse just isn’t big enough to handle today’s needs.
“We definitely need it,” she said. “We’re overcapacity and need more courtrooms. It’s really difficult when we have superior court going on and have also have district court or traffic court. If you come to the courthouse on a busy day, you’ll see people lined up down the halls. We just need more space.”
Welch agreed that the recent escape reinforced the need for better security during prisoner transfer.
“It would be incredibly helpful to have a justice center that incorporates the jail,” she said.
Early in the process
Jim Tate, chairman of the board of commissioners, sees merit in the proposal but said the board needs much more information before considering it. A final report from Moseley Architects should be in the hands of commissioners shortly.
I’m open to it if that’s the route we need to take,” he said.
Tate pointed out that issues surrounding the jail and the courthouse aren’t the only needs the county faces, including a possible new high school – which was not addressed in the study – and a new senior center.