Muscatine

I understand that the Jail Administration is looking to expand the jail in order to house more Federal Prisoners. Is this really a good Idea in times of an economic downturn?

I can see the possibility of purchasing a new work release center, but a 90 inmate expansion of the main jail?

This at the time that most jails accross the country are looking to reduce inmate populations, through electronic monitoring and other programs, to reduce cost to the taxpayers.

Does the current administration have any guarentees in writting from the US Marshals that they will continue to house inmates here in Muscatine? Do we really want more Federal prisoners here in Muscatine?

It's our tax dollars, do we really want more tax dollars spent just so that the jail can house more Federal prisoners?

Any thoughts, me I'm against expanding the Jail.

More spending on something we don't need.

We don't need more Federal prisoners here in our town. I'd be happy if we got rid of all of them as it is. Many of them are drug dealers, and thier families and friends come here to visit, bringing thier drugs and crime along with them.

Lets keep the local jail, local!

No matter how many jails are built, there will always be bad people to put in them.  Economic downturn....I see more crimes, seems to happen when people are in a hard way.  Housing inmates has not hurt us so far, I really doubt anyone has noticed if a prisoner had a visitor, and the county makes around $55/day for every inmate housed in our jail....adds up to quite a bit and helps pay all the salaries of county employees.  If we didn't house the inmates the money would have to come from somewhere else.  I see the benefits of it.

I say build the new pod.  If they need to hire a few more jailers, so be it, it would give a few people a job.

I tend to agree with freedom. The harder the times, the more crimes. Some people are too big a risk to be released or electronically monitored. Some people in jail come  from good families. The fact that they are in jail doesn't mean their whole family is trash.

Visitors to prisoners spend money here too.