To the editor:

The previous letter I wrote was for public awareness as to the state of this county’s jail. I clearly stated that jail should not be a five-star vacation resort. I am incarcerated for breaking the law. I deserve to be punished for my poor decisions. I have had many months to reflect on my misdeeds, and I am in the process of rehabilitation so that I may become a better person, father, friend and, most of all, productive citizen of this great community. My mistakes in the past do not change the fact that the Houghton County Jail is severely dilapidated and has long passed its usefulness to this community. The jail was built in 1963, in a time when population and crime were considerably lower. This facility has become a liability to those it serves. The safety and security of the community and those who work in this facility is the true concern. A few extra dollars added to yearly taxes is a small price to pay considering the alternative. If this facility were closed it will undoubtably be more costly to the public and more than just financially. The county would be forced to pay other counties to house inmates at a cost higher than housing them here. Transportation of inmates to and from court proceedings is not only costly, but creates other issues of public safety. Any transport of inmates is a serious security risk. Using deputies to transport these inmates takes them away from patrolling our neighborhoods, creating several other safety concerns. Not to mention that this facility is a lawsuit waiting to happing. Losing a lawsuit would be devastating to the financial stability of this community. I am just urging the people of this community to be proactive instead of reactive. This is not about treatment of “jailbirds” and the bread and water they’re fed. This is about corrections officers forced to work in hostile and unsafe work conditions. This is about the safety and financial security of this county and its citizens. It’s about admitting that times have changed during the 50-plus years of this facility, and it’s time to rectify a festering problem that can be absolved by our community coming together for everyone’s best interests. A few more dollars a year as opposed to thousands down the road. If that makes me a poster boy for a new facility, it also makes me a poster boy for the safety and well-being of our great community.

You do the math!

C. Fisher

Houghton