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: Grits for Breakfast

Why would a county Sheriff need a 'sales' department?

Have you ever heard of a county Sheriff's department with a "sales" division? That's what's needed in Garza County, reports the Lubbock Avalanche Journal ("New jail brings law enforcement closer," Feb. 22), to fill beds in a new jail aimed at profiteering from overcrowding in other counties:"Our main thing is to get out and be a sales type department to get people to bring us inmate for us to house," [Garza County Sheriff Cliff] Laws said. "Right now it's just getting everything in place and up and running."Said the Avalanche Journal, "In addition to housing out-of-county prisoners, the facility has also required a doubling of staff to 28." So Garza County has put itself in a position where a new jail will soak local taxpayers with high staffing costs if they can't find more inmates to fill the 96 bed jail.continue to full post

Full post as published by Grits for Breakfast on February 23, 2009 (boomark / email).