THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, February 19, 1997 TAG: 9702190375
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B7 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY SUSIE STOUGHTON, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: SUFFOLK LENGTH: 38 lines
The head of Western Tidewater Regional Jail is eyeing federal funds to build an addition.
The regional jail, which serves Suffolk, Franklin and Isle of Wight County, isn't strapped for space, but the area is growing so fast that the Jail Authority knows the day is coming when beds will be at a premium.
``There is going to be a need,'' jail Superintendent John R. ``Jack'' Dewan said Tuesday. ``Maybe not immediately, but the longer we put it off, the more it is going to cost.''
Dewan will brief the City Council tonight on the preliminary plans.
The 5-year-old facility in the Elephant's Fork section near Virginia Route 10 and the U.S. Route 58 Bypass was built with expansion in mind.
The jail, rated for 377 prisoners, is built in separate blocks with central administrative, medical and kitchen facilities. Another block could house 50 more inmates, with possible expansion to 100 without additional construction, Dewan said.
The jail could qualify for a federal grant through the Construction Assistance Program, designed to help regional jails expand or renovate, Dewan said.
If so, no additional local funds would be needed because the jail authority sets money aside each year for future construction.
``That makes it awfully appetizing,'' Dewan said.
In return for the federal funds, the jail would agree to house federal prisoners when space is available. The jail already keeps such prisoners on a space-available basis.
``Local and state inmates take priority,'' Dewan said.
Although definite projections weren't available, Dewan predicted that more cell space would be needed eventually because of the population boom in the area.
``At least the jail's going to be ready,'' he said.