David Shapiro’s column mentioned that Gov. Josh Green wants a better proposal for a new jail (“Our lawmakers look for respect in all the wrong places,” Star-Advertiser, Volcanic Ash, Jan. 29).
Despite his many legal transgressions, such as breaking laws against profiling in traffic stops, Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Maricopa County, Ariz., established a “tent city” jail for nonviolent offenders. This could be considered perhaps his only good idea, and we should consider it here.
Our weather is tent-friendly, and such a fenced compound can easily be designed with sufficient all-around visibility from watchtowers (possibly partially manned by video instead of expensive staff) so that any prisoner shenanigans can be detected.
The cost savings are huge, and though this would not please the construction industry here, the taxpayers (and also the inmates) would benefit from such an inexpensive outdoor environment, by not having to send prisoners to expensive mainland jails.
We can’t afford to throw out the occasional really good ideas that come from really bad people.
Richard Stancliff
Makiki
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