The Warren County Board of Supervisors are in a dilemma.
They realize the county needs a new facility to replace the two-story 110-year-old jail, which is outdated and woefully inadequate to meet the needs of the county and the city.
Board of Supervisors president Richard George said the county is assessing several properties as potential sites, but is limited by a state law requiring the county jail to be located inside the county seat. That means inside the Vicksburg city limits. And that, George said, makes it hard to negotiate a price the county can afford.
“This is a significant project, but we’re not actually at free choice to purchase land. Before we can purchase, we’ve got to know we can use it for the intended purpose,” George said at a Jan. 31 meeting with the Board of Mayor and Aldermen. “When the public learns you’re limited to site selection by boundary, then automatically your negotiation ability is greatly reduced.”
There are other issues, like the city’s zoning codes and regulations regarding development in one of the city’s historic districts, and the acceptance of a jail by city residents.
While everyone agrees the county needs a new jail, people living in residential neighborhoods aren’t too keen on a correctional facility sitting near their homes. It’s called NIMBY — “Not in my backyard.”
With a lack of space in the city, zoning regulations and public opinion as major considerations, the supervisors would like to locate the jail in the county. It makes sense. There’s more room, the chances are better the jail could be isolated away from major residential areas, and there’s sufficient room for expansion. But the law prevents them from doing so.
It’s time to change the law. It might have worked in the early 20th Century, but cities have grown in population, and there’s no longer open spaces in town to build a facility like jail. And the supervisors should have the right to decide where.
George was correct when he said, “If we’re going to buy a piece of property and spend somewhere between $8 to $12 million for a jail, we need to have the opportunity, at least if we’re going to pay for it, to put it where we think it needs to be for the future of Warren County and Vicksburg.”