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Firearms Range
Criminal Justice Planning Innitiative
Justice Planning Timeline
Justice Planning Committee
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Times Have Changed
Criminal justice officials today are facing different challenges than
those existing 30 years ago -- challenges requiring new approaches.
Greater numbers of mentally ill people, drug users, drunk drivers, and people charged with or convicted of domestic violence are now held in local jails.
Other developments such as more stringent sentencing laws and State mandates have pushed county jails beyond their capacity limits.
Current judicial facilities
The Blue Earth County Judicial System is currently housed in four separate buildings located within residential and small business neighborhoods. The Blue Earth County Courthouse holds courtrooms, the Nichols Office Building is occupied by Corrections, The Blue Earth County Government Center houses the County Attorney’s Office and the Law Enforcement Center holds the Sheriff’s Department and County Jail. These existing buildings offer little or no room for expansion and none provide quick access to any of Mankato’s primary transportation routes, including Highways 14, 22, 169 and 60. Building a Justice Center closer to these roadways would provide improved emergency response.
About the Jail
The Blue Earth County Jail was built in 1972 as part of the Law Enforcement
Center on South Front Street in Mankato. This building also houses the
County Sheriff's Department, the City of Mankato Public Safety Department,
and the 911 dispatch center.
Like the Blue Earth County Jail, most jails built in the ‘70s are now obsolete. Nearing the end of its life span, jailers are faced with a more dangerous and difficult task of supervising inmates. A report released by criminal justice consultant, Dennis Liebert, outlines several serious problems at the Blue Earth County Jail.
Jail Deficiencies Report
Jail Recommendations
About the Courthouse
The beautiful and dignified Blue Earth County Courthouse is a historic structure that prominently overlooks Mankato. Its enduring image has become a symbol of the County. Despite its grand appearance and exterior condition, there are issues of concern about the building.
Full Capacity
First, the building is at full capacity with no space available for expansion
without displacing the court or county administration. The courthouse,
built in1889, has already been significantly renovated to make use of
every possible space. The court system has already been fragmented by
relocated County Attorney and Court Services to nearby county buildings.
Security
Security of the jail should be an important consideration in planning
the operation of a modern courthouse because the safety of the public,
judicial officers and court staff if crucial to the administration of
justice and to the integrity of the judicial system. Citizen’s also
need to feel safe in the very building dedicated to the rule of law and
the peaceful resolution of disputes, otherwise they lose confidence in
the system and the meaning of justice is undermined.
Courts Deficiencies Report
Courts Recommendation
The Right Way to Plan
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With the help of specialized consultants, Blue Earth County is following a planning process recommended by the National Institute of Corrections. That process, which guides critical decision-making, includes some of the following steps: |
- Convene a justice planning committee
- Collect jail data to determine what types of offenders are incarcerated
most
- Explore alternatives to jail, such as electronic home monitoring,
sentence to serve work crews, drug court, and pretrial supervision programs
- Evaluate the existing jail facility
- Perform cost comparisons on facility options (renovation/expansion
vs. new construction)
- Evaluate ongoing operational costs
- Implement a solution that will meet current and future incarceration needs
Justice Planning Committee
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On behalf of Blue Earth County citizens, a Justice Planning Committee monitors policies that affect the size and makeup of the jail population, and analyzes how the overall criminal justice system is functioning. The Committee's vision for the criminal justice system includes: |
- A new jail facility that allows for programming and education, as
well as a safe and efficient work environment
- Fewer people committing crimes
- Lower recidivism rates (repeat offenses)
- More effective early intervention
- Lower alcohol and drug abuse in the community
- Effective and immediate consequences for offenders
- Use of alternatives to jail when appropriate
- Improved coordination within the criminal justice system
- Meet community expectations within the community's resources
A Jail of the Future
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In the County’s existing “linear-design” jail on South Front Street, the County is required to have one staff person per 25 inmates because of poor sight lines. In the direct-supervision-style jail, one staff person is able to supervise up to 60 inmates. As a result, problems such as assaults and introduction of dangerous contraband have been greatly reduced or virtually eliminated in the direct-supervision jail. This more effective style of jail allows staff to set and clearly communicate expectations for inmate behavior, provide incentives for positive behavior, and hold inmates accountable when they violate rules.
What does this mean to taxpayers? Good inmate behavior reduces cost to the community; costs related to medical expenses, repairs and maintenance, and lawsuits resulting from injury and death.
