Portable Jail Housing

 As we crack down on crime in San Joaquin County, in Stockton in particular, we cannot avoid the need for jail space.  The revolving door at the San Joaquin County Jail is exasperating the fight to take back our streets.  The numbers just don’t add up and our correctional facility is overcrowded and in need of inmate housing now. My recommendation to add jail space is not adhering to the old mantra of increasing incarceration without attempting to break the cycle of crime and recidivism.  However, without that “one empty bed” in our jail we will not have the proverbial hammer needed to assure criminals choose a path of non-violence and reentry into law abiding society.
   Correctional facilities around the United States are choosing modular prison housing as an efficient and quick space solution to ease overcrowding.  It is time San Joaquin County considers the modular option. 
   Actually, we must ask ourselves what took so long? In 2012, Sheriff Moore released 2,000 offenders at the direction of courts caused by overcrowding at the jail.  These inmates were released before the end of their sentences, and many defendants (not yet sentenced) were released from the jail while still awaiting a trial.  The effect on the criminal justice and public safety is profound.  What is disturbing is our current sheriff has been chasing an unrealistic plan to build a new jail we cannot afford.  The modular solution has been there all this time. Recently, CNN did a story looking at the impact of AB109 on San Joaquin County Jail overcrowding.   They focused on a homicide which occurred from a violent inmate who was released.  What CNN didn't know was Sheriff Moore had already spent $9,000,000 (nine million dollars) on a jail that was never built and was always unrealistic. This could have added 1,000 beds under a modular construction plan.
   Modular housing is a more time efficient solution to inmate overcrowding because buildings can be completed 30-50 percent faster than with traditional construction. This is particularly helpful for correctional facilities needing an immediate solution. In addition to its speed, modular construction also results in less site disruption and reduced material waste.
   What is even more compelling is the cost savings.  Modular housing is a fraction of the cost of traditional jail construction.  By most conservative estimates, modular construction is a third of the cost.
   Modular buildings can be custom designed to suit the needs of each correctional facility with many flexible design options. The different modular options include inmate housing, minimum and medium security buildings, medical facilities, juvenile detention facilities and guardhouses.  Buildings can be a temporary or permanent solution and range from single story open floor bunking to multi-story secluded dormitories.
   This flexibility in design will help us manage inmate housing with the ebb and flows of staffing resources.  We can build small pods allowing us to incrementally add jail beds and staff.  This will avoid the terrible choice our Sheriff forced on the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors. Under Sheriff Moore’s plan it was all or nothing.  Either add new staff for 1,200 more beds or do nothing.  This was the choice our Supervisors faced when they correctly voted down Sheriff Moore’s new jail.  Now they have a reasonable choice. 
   Modular buildings meet or exceed the same construction codes as traditionally built inmate facilities. In addition, modular buildings adhere to all federal, local and state security and safety concerns. Buildings can be equipped with bulletproof glass, surveillance systems and security doors.    Modular construction is the best way to meet the needs of inmates and the San Joaquin County community.  New jail space is a critical component for a safe community.  When we are safe, our economy and quality of life will flourish.  It is time for new ideas like modular jail expansion.  We cannot continue down the path of avoidance and neglect.  The result has been a deterioration of the quality of life in our community.  We all deserve more.