You’re building a new jail, Platte County. Oh, you have not officially approved it, but I’ve been around the block enough times to see the signs. The Platte County government has hired a consultant to do architectural planning and whatnot for a new jail and that is the beginning of the end of any thoughts that you’re going to save your pocketbook from this government blitz. It is just a matter of time until they wear you down.
Maybe it’s needed, maybe it’s not, I have no idea. What I do know is that once they start dropping a couple hundred thousand bucks on consultants, it’s all but over. It is the proverbial first push of the snowball down the hill. You best just step out of the way.
Honestly though, I am excited about the old but new “lock’em up” mindset that is working its way around the country currently. We’ve had a good decade of pacifying criminals, even built statues for a few, and there is a gentle nudge going around that we’re going back to the “throw away the key” justice. Probably a good happy place in the middle for all of us, but that’s unlikely, an overcorrection is more probable.
In my early years, I worked for an engineering firm out of Columbia, Mo. that did water and wastewater projects for small towns throughout the state. I think my title was project manager, but I was just a salesman, really. I’d appear at city council meetings, county commission meetings and pitch our wares. The number one goal always was to get a contract to do a study. Didn’t matter what, just get in the door with a study, it was all downhill from there.
It’s a tried-and-true business practice that you’re about to see implemented for a new jail. Once the county is $200k in the hopper for planning, how can you stop now? You can’t and they won’t. Cut out a vacation or two next year and put some dollars back so you can do your part; Platte County Strong and such.
Remember when private jails were all the rage? What happened to that trend? I miss the 90’s. Surely, we could do some JailBNB type system. Keep short term criminals in a garage out back for a fee or something. Why has Elon Musk not figured this one out?
Not to go over my resume this week, but I also once did bail bonds as a side gig for a lady that owned a private jail at Pattonsburg, Missouri. She had people escaping out of that place all the time, but the counties were sending her checks, and she eventually sold the place to a consortium of counties in the region and probably made a bunch of money, a few escapees should never get in the way of profits, in my opinion.
Talk about synergy, she was making money if they were in jail or making money by bailing them out. God, I love this country.
Foley will probably read the consultant’s report that will tell you how bad Platte County needs a new jail. He’s diligent that way and he’s kind of an expert on the number of people incarcerated at the local jail, it’s a gift he was born with, I suppose.
I won’t read it. I already know what it will say. A one page report that just says “You NEED a new jail” would probably save us all a lot of time and money, but let’s just humor everyone and see what they say, or at least wait for Foley to tell us what they say.
(Guy Speckman can be reached developing an JailBNB app)