To the Editor:

It was good news to see the article last month that the county commissioners are considering the issue of building a new county jail. It is long overdue and very much needed.

I applaud the county commissioners and hope they will see this through and not have budget issues and site location to deter them.

This is long overdue and needs to be acted upon. We all know how tight the economy is, but this issue needs to be addressed. The county jail is outdated, overcrowded and a tempest in a teapot. This has nothing to do with the inmates, nor whether or not you feel that they are being pampered. It is about seeing that justice is served in this county and having a safe workplace environment for our county employees.

I urge the grand jury to hold the county commissioners’ feet to the fire on this. It is one thing to talk about something, it is another thing to act. I urge the county commissioners to appropriate funds without delay.

May I offer a suggestion when someone asks as to where a new county jail is to be built? I would suggest that they think about building up. Instead of building on ground level, think about building up over the parking lots, or maybe even see if it is structurally feasible to add two to three floors on top of the court house.

I appreciate your attention to this matter.

JEAN A. RICHARDSON
Washington