The current

county correctional facility contains approximately 80

cells and is now, as we all know, filled to double

capacity. The proposed jail "concept" will

contain two pods housing a total of 384

"spaces" in addition to the 80 cells the

current jail holds.

In speaking

with county commissioner [Herb] Frady, also a member of

the jail planning committee, I have learned that this is

Phase I of the expansion and as the county builds out,

Phase II will be put into action, adding another two pods

housing 384 more spaces. That totals 848 prisoners, which

is a very conservative figure.

The

commissioners project that they won't need to build Phase

II until 2010, but if anyone read the article in the AJC

on Saturday, Aug. 28, regarding the overflow in the

Fulton County jail, they will understand that Phase II

will be built much sooner than 2010. Fulton County jail

was built to last out a 20-year span and within 10 years,

it has filled to double capacity.

Also note

that the present county jail holds state prisoners, many

being maximum security prisoners. Maximum security state

prisoners often face long sentences for major crimes

punishable by more than one year. This includes rapists,

robbers and drug dealers. These criminals are now being

detained at our county jail until there is available

space to transfer them to the "big house."

To quote

Commissioner [Greg] Dunn [The Citizen, 2-17-99] regarding

state prisoners and the jail expansion, "I think

it's like `Field of Dreams.' If you build it they will

come. The state of Georgia will fill every bed we've

got."

A county

correctional facility of this type should not be built

within the dense population of the city. This will affect

the three elementary schools, middle school, and high

school within walking distance of the jail. East Fayette

Elementary students are already familiar with being

locked in their schools commonly referred to as

"lockdown," resulting from escaped offenders

from the courts. A larger jail will affect real estate

value of the surrounding communities and it will affect

the efforts of the city of Fayetteville to preserve the

downtown corridor.

I have been

told by the Fayette County commissioners that they chose

the present location for the jail expansion because of

the proximity to the courts and sheriff's office. A

company called Facility Group, Inc. was hired in 1998 to

determine if the current site could be expanded upon or

if alternative sites should be studied for a new complex

[The Citizen, 9-9-98].

In speaking

with Mr. Rich of Facility Group, alternative sites were

never considered. He explained to me that the

commissioners "dictated" to him to evaluate

only the current jail site. He told the commissioners

that the current site of 33 acres was

"landlocked" as to how much could be built on

the site. So over the past few months the commissioners

have been quietly buying up neighboring properties to

expand the site.

Our

neighbors in Clayton County are building their new jail

complex in a business-type district on Tara Boulevard.

The city of Jonesboro annexed this "county"

property to their city limits. Why can't our county build

a new judicial complex on the outskirts of the city and

if need be, annex it to the city limits of Fayetteville?

In driving around Fayetteville there is plenty of

property for sale - land bordering on the city

limits along Ga. Highway 54 West and on Ga. Highway 85

North. This land is certainly more suitable to building a

large jail and government complex than the downtown

corridor of Fayetteville.

The county

won't lose. They can probably turn around and sell their

proposed jail property and buildings and make double what

they paid for it.

The

decision to expand the jail at its present location will

affect thousands of Fayetteville residents who chose to

live within the city limits because they were attracted

to the wonderful small-town atmosphere. Property values

of these neighborhoods bordering the proposed jail are

sure to deteriorate.

Economically,

a large jail facility within a city has a negative

impact. If the jail were to be built at a more rural

location on the outskirts of the city, then it would be a

resident's choice to build a home and live near the

facility. Since this isn't the case, the commissioners

are forcing city residents to have a large correctional

facility in their backyards.

I urge

concerned citizens who live within Fayetteville's city

limits to please join me in standing up against our

county commissioners and their decision to put this

complex on the only piece of remaining green space

remaining within the city core.

I also urge

residents to take a walk on the lovely walking path

located on the proposed jail site behind the Juvenile

Court building (the old library). Take in the views of

the deer with their fawn and the magnificent huge live

oaks and imagine a jail on this lovely property.

Criminals are not deserving of such beauty.

We can't

allow a handful of commissioners to get away with making

such a negative impact on our community!

Denise

Fair

Fayetteville

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