Where should Kansas City send its prisoners?

That's a question the city council is trying to answer. Previously, the city had announced a plan to close the municipal jail and send all of its prisoners to Jackson County's detention center.

Not so fast, say opponents, who want the prisoners shipped north to Pattonsburg, Mo., about 75 miles from KCMO. The county would charge $57 per inmate per day, versus Pattonsburg's $30 per day charge. Pattonsburg, however, will not provide mental-health services.

Comments

[D-man]

Send them to that wacky sheriff in Arizona. Joe Arpaio, Mariposa County.

[Kevin L]

Jackson County has a backlog of over 5,000 warrants for people who have failed to appear in court or have violated their probation. These charges range from murder to not paying child support. Many of these people were released in the first place because the jail did not have the room to hold them and was under a federal order to reduce crowding.

I want to make three points. The first point is that if the county jail now has the room to hold city prisoners, then they should round up these wanted people and put them behind bars where they belong and stop releasing people that they shouldn't be releasing.Our priority should be these people not the city prisoners.

My second point is that the property where the current city jail is located on would be perfect for a new regional jail that all the cities in the area can use. It's location off I-435 and Raytown Road is very centrally located.

My last point is that the transportation costs associated with moving these prisoners to Pattonsburg would far exceed the savings between $57 dollars a day in Kansas City and $30 dollars a day there. Please keep in mind that the county jail makes a profit. Building a regional jail and opening it up to other city prisoners and federal prisoners will pay for the jail and a profit will be made.

[JS]

Maricopa County*

[Jonathan]

OK, so you get arrested for public intoxication, pass out, sleep it off, wake up in the morning to make your phone call and you have to tell the person that they need to pick you up in PATTONSBURG, MO? After their laughter subsides, and they go no really, where the F*CK is Pattonsburg, MO? Then the laughing starts again as you try to describe the random location in Missouri you are currently at, and you hear them say "Take a cab home." as they hang up the phone.....SOUNDS LIKE A GREAT PLAN! Maybe next year we can start transporting KC prisoners up to Wasilla, AK, and let them get home from there.

[Drew]

Or maybe you just don't get arrested.