Even if Sedgwick County Commission Chairman Kelly Parks and Commissioner Gwen Welshimer (in photo) said something to Wichita officials about the possibility of building a new work-release center or other jail facility in downtown Wichita — a big “if,” given that Wichita Mayor Carl Brewer and Vice Mayor Jim Skelton say it never happened — Parks and Welshimer clearly didn’t do a good job communicating. But what matters moving forward is that the county makes sure it involves city officials and downtown leaders in the planning, so that the location of the facility doesn’t undermine public and private efforts to redevelop downtown.
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Who can provide a list with the number of inmates and the crimes they committed?
Seems to me that every time somebody wants to build a bigger jail, they start arresting people for things like overdue library books so they can tell us the jail is overflowing. Makes me wonder if our county commissioners are in the business of running the county or providing contracts for construction companies?
Is anyone else disturbed that our society keeps building more and more jails and prisons then passing more and more legislation to keep people in said jails and prisons longer? I don’t want to pay for someone to sit in a jail for 20 years for smoking a joint.
Let’s make a list of wishes and real needs of Sedgwick County. Then discuss it and cuss it and citizens of the county rank their wishes and needs.
Knowing that Sedgwick County has said it can pay only for limited food and heat this winter for the orphans home, select the wish/need that gets the most votes and throw out all the others.
To start the list:
Let’s make a list of wishes and real needs of Sedgwick County. Then discuss it and cuss it and citizens of the county rank their wishes and needs.
Knowing that Sedgwick County has said it can pay only for limited food and heat this winter for the orphans home, select the wish/need that gets the most votes and throw out all the others.
To start the list:
Sorry, I hit a wrong button. So, again, to start the list:
** Build more jails,
** Rebuild the airport terminal building,
** Re-configure the City Hall parking lot to exclude the public and use it only for insiders.
** Build more parking lots for the unwanted, unneeded white elephant Intrust arena:
** Build a million dollar “dancing lights water show” in the Water Walk project even though no new unaffiliated user businesses have been found.
** Continue to spend more big bucks building a bigger city owned TV station for what reasons no one knows.
** Build new recreational venues on the theory that Sedgwick County citizens cannot themselves come up with ways to enjoy their lives.
OR
** Enhance the program to improve the lot of people released from jails and prisons and, of course, the homeless people who sleep under the Second Street bridge.
** Repair old deteriorated city-owned infrastructure such as roads, sidewalks, city streets, etc.
** Examine and probe our 50 year old flyover bridges and trafficways for deterioration and replacement before its too late.
** Begin a city scape program for all small town main streets in Sedgwick County thereby preserving the rural culture of Sedgwick County.
** Work with all schools in Sedgwick County to enhance their neighborhoods beyond the school boundaries.
All interested citizens and WE Bloggers, I’m sure, can add immensely to this list.
Last week I picked up the plastic bag thrown on by driveway and found a copy of ‘WestSide Story’ along with a copy of ‘The Q & A Times.’ I read a story that relates to this thread topic. I have no idea whether it is based on facts or not. I don’t remember ever seeing this publication, don’t know the editor or anything more than this landed in my driveway and I read bits of it including the editor’s column.
Charlie Traffas is identified as the editor of The Q & A Times and this edition contained the usual, “FROM THE EDITOR” column. He wrote of a myriad of subjects including this –
“I got a call from a man about the time we were going to press. I was moved by his story and thought I would include it here. He said a friend of his was charged with a serious crime and incarcerated, awaiting trial, since November of 2007! Yes, as surprising as it might sound, he has been in the Sedgwick Country Jail since then, in a “pod” with 64 other men who have been charged with serious crimes. He has been there since November of 2007 because… (according to the caller) … there is not enough money to fund the public defender’s budget and his trial has been moved 3 or 4 times (he couldn’t remember exactly). There are 14 in this pod that have been in for as long as he and are in the same shape. In the mean time, he has lost his family, his job and his house, since he wasn’t making payments on it. The man who called me said the charge was a serious charge … but a bogus charge. I told him that of course is not up to him … or me … to determine. It is up to the courts. He has a bond of $1 million but no way to bond out.
Now, take a look at this situation. If he is proven guilty, I would imagine whatever sentence he receives, he would deserve and it would be reduced by his time already served. But … what if he is found not guilty?
Take a look at what has happened to this man. In the period of time he has been incarcerated, I have been on vacation three times, had two birthday dinners with my family, two Thanksgivings, two Christmases, celebrated my wife’s birthday twice … played with out girls (dogs) hundreds of times, played over 400 round of golf, slept in nice linens each night, etc.
What has he been doing?
The man who called me said he had tried to call the TV stations and the newspapers about this situation but no one would give him the time of day. They say they might look into it when their “reporters get off vacation.” This man mentioned two or three other excuses they had given him … but to me … they all sounded the same.
Again, I don’t know who is right who is wrong. That’s not my job. But goodness, do you suppose all of the 64 men in this “pod” are guilty? Do you suppose all of the 14 that have been there going on two years are guilty? Is there even one who is innocent? Are we still not innocent until proven guilty in this country? How can it happen that such a long time goes by without something happening? How many times does this happen … to how many people … here in Wichita … and throughout the world? We all have good and bad days, but imagine the plight of these men. May God bless them and make them whole if they are innocent. If they are guilty, may He have mercy on them.
If you are aware of this situation and I have portrayed it differently than the way it is, please let me know.”
Does anyone know whether this might be based on facts? This editor must have been convinced enough by his caller to include this, but could it be true? If true, it could explain part of the jail crowding problem.
Lindainks55: I think you are seeing the old rule in action. “Every governmental kingdom promotes its own growth so it can increase the number of its employees. Their theory is more employees at the bottom, the higher the salaries at the top.”
Kansas jails and prisons are no exception. The more incarcerated prisoners, the more staff and guards are needed. This, in turn, requires more administrators at higher salaries.
Very similar to the reasons for construction of the downtown unwanted by taxpayers, unneeded white elephant Intrust arena in downtown Wichita.
Lindainks55: I think you are seeing the old rule in action. “Every governmental kingdom promotes its own growth so it can increase the number of its employees. Their theory is more employees at the bottom, the higher the salaries at the top.”
Kansas jails and prisons are no exception. The more incarcerated prisoners, the more staff and guards are needed. This, in turn, requires more administrators at higher salaries.
Very similar to the reasons for construction of the downtown unwanted by taxpayers, unneeded white elephant Intrust arena in downtown Wichita.
No wonder it took a long time to post. It double posted.