Stir crazy

Why is it that some people in Newport are complaining about a proposal to rent out some empty jail beds to Hamilton County?

A story in Wednesday’s Enquirer noted that Campbell County Jailer Greg Buckler is catching grief from some of his constituents over his offer to let Hamilton County lease up to 100 empty jail beds for the same $43.48 Campbell County gets for housing federal prisoners.

One complainer in the story said it is somehow not a proper use of Campbell County tax dollars. Huh? Would he prefer letting the beds sit empty? How would that help Campbell County, which must pay for the jail, whether it is occupied or not? The new county lockup was built with extra capacity to meet future Campbell County needs. Renting cells to Hamilton County, or anybody else, seems like a responsible use of resources until such time as Campbell County needs the space for prisoners of its own.

Critics also have said they worry about a security risk. Do they really think that the people who commit crimes in Hamilton County are that much more dangerous that Campbell County’s crooks? Buckler noted that 11 percent of the prisoners jailed for committing crimes in Campbell County actually come over from Hamilton County to commit their offenses. I’m confident his officers have what it takes to keep Hamilton County convicts locked up as securely as the homegrown variety.

The state legislatures and the Campbell Fiscal Court have to approve this idea before it can become a reality anyway. They should all do that as soon as possible. Empty cells in Campbell County and a crowded jail in Hamilton County aren’t enhancing the safety of anyone in the region.