By DAVE HAMRICK
Editor-at-large

Dare I wade into this jail issue?

Not being a Fayette resident, I don't have a dog in this hunt, which could be considered a positive or a negative. On the one hand, being a nonresident makes me more objective. On the other hand, it means I have less at stake.

Give that whatever weight you wish. I'm not going to try and tell anyone — the commissioners, the jail opponents or the public at large — what the final answer is. But I might be able to help you organize the argument a little bit.

First, for those who haven't been paying attention, Fayette County is planning to enlarge the county jail, where local people convicted of misdemeanors serve their sentences, and where those charged with more serious crimes are housed until they are tried and, if convicted, sent to state or federal facilities.

The jail has been there about 20 years and is built to handle 75 guests. It is currently handling at least twice that, sometimes three times that.

More space is needed. I haven't heard anyone disagree with that.

The plan is to add two housing pods to the jail, increasing its capacity by 192 beds in each pod, for a total of 459. The design that county commissioners have agreed upon would also provide space for two additional 192-bed pods in the indefinable future — 10 years, 20, five? Who knows?

If the current plan becomes reality, this is going to be a much bigger facility and have a much greater visual impact than the current one. A new courthouse also is planned, with the old court facilities renovated and used for Sheriff's Department offices, so the entire complex will be pretty huge.

Essentially, opponents' reasons for being opponents have to do with fear. That's not a criticism. If we have something to fear besides fear itself, then fear is the proper response.

Many people in the immediate vicinity of the complex fear that having such a big jail nearby will be dangerous for them. Criminals might escape and do harm to local people, they fear.

Well, criminals do escape from jails sometimes, though our local law enforcement folks have an excellent reputation for hanging onto the citizens entrusted to their care. The question is: Does living a mile or so away from a jail increase the danger that a)someone will escape and b)that someone will stop in his/her flight long enough to inflict harm on anyone who happens to be nearby?

I haven't been able to find any scientific data on that, but I'm guessing that the distance of one's dwelling from a county jail would have no effect on one's chances of being harmed by an escaped prisoner. A state prison, maybe, but not a county jail.

Some won't agree, and their guess is certainly as good as mine. But I wouldn't make any decisions based on the fear without at least some statistical evidence that the fear is based in reality. If you are opposed to the jail enlargement and want the commissioners to listen to you, then you need some hard facts to back up the argument.

Second, nearby residents fear that their property values will go down. Of course, property values are based on such an immense number of factors that it's hard to pick one and assign all the blame or credit to it when values go up or down.

I live near Clayton County's jail, and the new one is about the same distance from my house as the old one. It's much bigger than the one Fayette is talking about. So far the value of my property has continued its upward trend. If that changes, I'll let you know.

Meanwhile, the same holds true for this fear as for the first one. If you want the commissioners to change directions at this point, you have a better chance if you can provide some proof that the single factor of having a jail nearby decreases property values. Simply stating the fear is not enough.

The most compelling arguments I've heard against the jail project are offered in quiet conversations with Fayetteville city officials, developers and others who don't want to be directly quoted.

Leaders in Fayetteville have a vision of a pedestrian-friendly downtown with lots of shops, some good quality housing, tree-lined sidewalks, historical flavor, some open space here and there, and frequent activities that help create a feeling of community.

They're somewhat worried that this huge complex (including a county office building a little further down the road) might not fit in too well with their dreams.

Some community leaders wonder whether Fayette County really needs a mega-complex. Governments tend to build large institutional buildings that have a commanding presence. But then, Fayette has always prided itself on not following the thundering herd, has it not?

Next week, I'll toss out some thoughts on that aspect of the issue.

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