Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, February 17, 1993 TAG: 9302170323
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
CHAMBER JOINS JAIL EFFORT
The Roanoke Regional Chamber of Commerce has joined the campaign to persuade Roanoke City Council to expand the city jail to ease overcrowding.The chamber is concerned about the crime problem and the possibility that judges might become lenient in sentencing criminals because of the lack of jail space.
It urged council on Tuesday to expand the jail to meet the city's projected need for jail space in the year 2000.
The business group also wants the General Assembly to pay up to half the estimated $7 million bill.
"While the crime rate in the Roanoke area is considerably less than other major cities in Virginia, we need to be sure that the Roanoke City Jail can meet the needs of this area for the foreseeable future," said John Stroud, the chamber's president.
"It is currently operating at over double its capacity and, according to the needs analysis, the inmate growth rate will be an estimated 12 [percent] to 14 percent per year.
"We simply need more space," Stroud told council.
"We are concerned about the seriousness of the crime problem and the need to have a place to incarcerate offenders."
Council members said they were pleased by the support for the city's attempt to obtain state money for jail construction and operations.
"Right on," Councilman Howard Musser told Stroud.
Del. Clifton Woodrum, D-Roanoke, said Tuesday that the House of Delegates' version of the state budget will have more money for local jails.
But Woodrum said he didn't know immediately whether Roanoke would benefit from the additional funds.
Woodrum said the city's legislators will push for more money for jails in a House-Senate conference committee.
Stroud said the state is largely responsible for the jail overcrowding.
"The number of people convicted of state crimes has increased, but the state is delaying taking these prisoners. The result is a greater burden to local taxpayers," Stroud said.
Sheriff Alvin Hudson and other officials also have complained that the state allows inmates with up to five-year prison terms to remain in the jail.
Stroud said the state also needs to increase its daily reimbursement rate for housing prisoners.
The jail has a rated capacity of 216 inmates, but it housed a daily average of 473 in recent months.
Even if the state takes its inmates out of the jail, the inmate population is expected to increase to 800 by the year 2000, Stroud said. The population could reach 1,000 if the state inmates remain.
Council members say they intend to expand the jail, but they will wait on City Manager Bob Herbert's recommendation.
Herbert has said a tax increase might be required to pay for expanding the jail and the juvenile detention home to ease overcrowding.
In a letter last week, Roanoke Circuit Court judges put council on notice that it must ease the overcrowding quickly or face a court order to do so.
Chief Judge Roy Willett said Hudson has made clear the potential danger of the overcrowding to the jail staff, inmates and public.
\ ROANOKE CITY COUNCIL\ IN OTHER ACTION\ \ Special housing exemption: Council voted to urge the General Assembly to exempt Mountain Manor Homes, a nonprofit corporation sponsored by St. John's Episcopal Church, from real estate taxes. Mountain Manor provides housing to people with special financial and medical needs. Council members William White and Delvis "Mac" McCadden dissented because they said council had violated its own policy requiring such requests to be filed 60 days before the General Assembly begins a session.\ \ Aiding teen mothers: Council approved the use of $34,555 in federal community development money to expand a program for teen-age mothers that is operated by the city Health Department. The number of mothers will expand from 25 to 65. The program provides prenatal care, parenting training, educational support and other services.\ \ Airport budget: Council approved a $4.2 million budget for the Roanoke Regional Airport for the fiscal year that begins July 1. The budget is up about $150,000, but requires no subsidy from Roanoke or Roanoke County, joint owners of the airport. Revenues from landing fees, concessions from airport businesses and other sources will cover the expenses.\ \ Commissioner designation: Council approved a resolution recognizing Dan Wooldridge for serving nine years on the Roanoke Civic Center Commission. Wooldridge, a well-known basketball referee and commissioner of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference, was designated as "commissioner emeritus" for the civic center.