Higher Jail Costs In Augusta Under Construction

Augusta, GA—It costs about $45 a day to keep someone locked up in Augusta. But, in the coming months, the city is hoping to save some big dollars at the jails.

“If you look at the jail population, it’s down a little bit, and we’re hoping that trend continues for the next year or so. If it does, there’s $500,000 we’re anticipating saving there,” says City Administrator Fred Russell.

The city is banking on that savings to avoid a property tax increase in next year’s budget, but savings on jails will be more difficult in the near future.

Construction is well underway at the Charles B. Webster Detention Center, on Phinizy Road. It’s a nearly $40 million expansion. Coming are more than 300 new beds with the scheduled completion projected for November of next year.

“Our budget will be impacted from the jails division by the increasing manpower. For 2011, that will be a challenge for us facing budget cuts now,“ says Assistant Chief Jailor Chester Huffman.

The expansion will not mean a lot of extra inmates right away, at Phinizy Road, but it will mean those currently sleeping on the floor on mattresses will be able to get a bed. Wednesday, more than 100 detainees were without a bed. But, a bigger jail will mean bigger utilities bills, also a bigger payroll.

To create all those new jail beds, three new buildings are going up at the Webster Detention Center, and those doing time inside those new buildings will need to be watched and that comes at a new cost.

“We’re going to have to staff those you put three people in there 24/7, then you’ll need three more in addition to what you have,” said Huffman.

”A lot of things we’re doing today are short term solutions to get us through these tough times and that is what this is to,” says Russell.

The November opening at Webster is included in the 2010 budget and Russell says there are no plans to delay the opening until 2011 to hold down costs.

Another budget recommendation that raised a lot of eyebrows is a $25,000 cut. According to Russell, the cut is for First Friday, and it appears the popular downtown event will be smaller next year.

First Friday officials stress that what’s being cut is the city’s part of the event, and not the entire event.

Melissa Sherwood, First Friday coordinator: “From my understanding, that pertains only to the First Friday activities in the Augusta Common. Those actvies take place April to through October. We do our First Friday activities year round.“

The city’s Parks and Recreation Department director, Tom Beck, says if Commissioners approve that budget cut, the money will come from the Riverwalk special events budget. That means car shows, bands, and the like will be gone from the Augusta Common if the cut is approved.