Regional jail plan gets traction

Kansas City Star

March 26, 2008

Kansas City and Jackson County officials confirmed today that they are exploring building a regional jail, but completion of such a project could be several years away.

Jackson County Executive Mike Sanders said the county has put out a request for information from firms knowledgeable about building such regional facilities. Those replies are due April 11 and would set out the way the county can move forward with the concept.

Meanwhile, Councilwoman Cathy Jolly said she will introduce a resolution in the City Council on Thursday directing the city manager to identify ways in which such a facility can become a reality. She said the idea has been discussed for decades but it's time to move forward.

'This concept is in its infancy,' Jolly said, adding that a lot of complex questions must be answered.

But she said the right people throughout the county are supportive.

Those at today's press conference included Kansas City Police Chief Jim Corwin and Jackson County Prosecutor James Kanatzar. They said they are also talking to city officials in Independence, Lee's Summit and other area municipalities.

Unanswered questions are how much the facility would cost, how cities and the county would pay for it, and where it would be located.

Nancy Leazer, superintendent of the municipal correctional institution, said she thinks a regional jail could be a good idea. It would be different from turning the city jail over to a private company, an idea which was floated earlier this year and which Jolly said she would not support.

Leazer predicted that a definite plan for a regional jail is 'at least a year away,' and it would likely take longer than that to build and start running.

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