To the editor:

On behalf of the League of Women Voters of the Copper Country, I want to endorse the August 8 DMG editorial outlining the reasons why Camp Kitwen will not work as a jail site for Houghton County. In 2019, the Houghton County Board of Commissioners appointed a task force consisting of over 30 local citizens from across Houghton County who represented a wide range of interests and perspectives to study the issue of a jail site. The League was asked to designate a representative to this task force, and we did.

The work of the Task Force was comprehensive and included the most thorough review to date of jail site options, including Camp Kitwen. The Task Force toured Camp Kitwen, and a detailed cost analysis was delivered for all the top options. For the first time, we were provided with the real costs of what it would take to relocate the jail to Camp Kitwen and to operate it. As the DMG Editorial points out, in the long run, those costs will be higher to the taxpayers of Houghton County than other options. If cost is the primary determinant, then Camp Kitwen is not the answer.

There is another reason why Camp Kitwen is not a good solution to the jail problem that the DMG editorial did not mention but that needs to be revealed as well. Relocating the jail to Camp Kitwen does nothing to solve the safety and security problems that exist in the transport of prisoners between the jail and the District Court. Right now, prisoners are transported directly among members of the public, and there have been instances of prisoner escapes during this process. The proposal recommended by the Task Force would locate the Sheriff’s Office, the jail, and the District Court in the same building, a solution that is much safer for the public and for courthouse personnel.

Thanks to the DMG for supporting the Task Force on this important issue.

Another issue of recent discussion is the appropriate emphasis on public funding directed towards law enforcement compared to that directed towards social services. The League strongly endorses adequate funding for mental health, drug rehabilitation, etc. The inadequacy of the jail is a separate issue of great urgency, for reasons including protecting public health and the rights of the detained. The Task Force’s study is available on our website.