If anyone should be upset over Fiscal Court's apparent reluctance to deal directly with its prisoner-population problem, it's Lincoln County Jailer David Gooch.
But Mr. Gooch was a study in forbearance recently while speaking to Stanford Rotarians.
Invited as guest speaker at the civic club, Mr. Gooch explained the challenges he and his staff face trying to cram three gallons of prisoners into the two-gallon jug that's the county's outdated, dilapidated, dangerous jail.
Instead of popping his cork, Mr. Gooch told Rotarians he "totally understands" why magistrates are reluctant to embark on the biggest and most expensive project in the county's history - construction of a regional jail that would throw Lincoln County millions of dollars in debt.
But Mr. Gooch believes a new jail would generate enough revenue to pay for itself and also turn a profit.
Failure to build a jail begs state closure of the existing one, he said. State corrections officials, so far have shown the patience of Job while citing the jail for safety and security deficits time after time. All the state has asked is that the county show some progress toward resolving the prisoner problem. The county has bought time by naming a jail committee (that's about as overpopulated as its jail) to study options, including building a jail or closing the one they have.
