Each forecast model had an R-square value greater than .8, and therefore, was within accepted limits. An average of the five models was used as the recommended forecast.

The inmate population forecast is presented in Table 3-1.

To determine bedspace requirements, peaking and classification factors must be added to the forecast numbers. As previously noted in this study, the peaking factor accounts for those instances when a jail’s population exceeds the monthly accounts. The number is not designed to meet all extreme situations, but rather to meet the normal upside of average daily numbers. For Racine County, a Peaking Rate of 3.5% was computed.

The classification number provides for separation requirements caused by short-term situations including inmate segregation requirements (disciplinary and administrative) and the inability to utilize individual cells or living areas due to physical plant problems. For Racine County a classification factor of 6% (5% for segregation and 1% for unusable living space) is an appropriate percentage.

The Projected Jail Bed Requirement for the Racine County Jail is presented in Table 3-2.

The forecast projects that Racine County will require 820 beds by the year 2010, approximately 897 beds by the year 2015, and 975 beds by 2020. This projection assumes that there are no adjustments to current incarceration policies. Varying pretrial release policies, improving court operations, adjusting sentencing practices, and other actions could reduce the projection.

The following section provides suggestions for reducing the Racine County Jail’s bed requirements.

The Sheriff’s Department has supported jail reduction programs aimed at changing inappropriate criminal behavior. Five jail reduction programs have been implemented since 1998. Since the year 2000 the local jail population has at times been below the State rated capacity, allow the renting of some jail spaces. Since the jail has been able to increase the number of rented jail beds, the impact of programs on the ADP for local offenders is not as evident.

Table 4-2 demonstrates that the actual number of inmates in the jail on a daily basis has decreased from 627 in 1998 to 549 in the first half of 2001. This means that in 3½ years, the programs have decreased the ADP of the jail by at least 78.

The inclusion of jail alternative and reduction programs has helped to reduce the ADP of the jail. Consequently, the jail is able to increase jail bed rentals, which means that the county is able to benefit from increased revenues. Not only has the entire jail population decreased from a daily count of 645 in 1998 to 584 in the first half of 2001, the number of daily jail bed rentals has increased from 13 in 1998 to 35 in the first half of 2001. As a result, jail revenues have increased from $265,720.00 in 1998 to $715,400.00 (assuming the jail bed rental levels remain at the same level for the second half of the year).

The assessment of Racine County’s justice system suggests that reductions in jail inmate numbers can be achieved by "tightening-up" certain justice system operations, maximizing jail based "outside" work programs, and implementing two specific jail population diversion programs. Implementing these recommendations will increase some staff; however, none of the programs are staff intensive. A number of the recommendations, however, may require a change in the community’s policies toward incarceration. An analysis of data suggests that while all the County’s justice system does seek to limit the use of detainment to the most deserving, additional diversions could be accomplished. The result of such action would be to substantially reduce the County’s jail expansion requirements and to significantly improve the effectiveness of jail operations.

The following briefly describes seven programs that could have a significant positive impact on the current jail population and be implemented at comparatively low cost to the County. The primary "new costs" associated with these programs is the provision of pretrial service release staff, jail staff to supervise outside work crews, and jail staff to coordinate and evaluate inmate participation and provide appropriate and timely information to other agencies.

1. Institute Weekend Initial Appearance Hearings

• Program Staffing Requirement: Eight-hours Court Commissioners Time/Weekend.

2. Reduce Admission to Trial Completion Time

• Program Staffing Requirement: Tracking and in-house coordination by a Jail Population Manager, a multi-function position (new).

3. Institute Pre-Trial Release Program

• Program Staffing Requirement: Two field officers could provide case supervision requirements for a 50-person program.

3. Increase Number of Community Service Work Crews

• Program Staffing Requirement: Three staff positions. It is recommended that the Jail Population Manager oversee this program.

3. Focus on Day Reporting Program

• Program Staffing Requirement: Two staff positions with coordination by the Jail Population Manager.

3. Institute Release Programs for Special Jail Cases

• Program Staffing Requirement: Coordination by Jail Population Manager.

A key element in the success of such programs is that they respond to objective standards and individual case information. A number of the programs require coordination between the jail and other segments of Racine County’s justice system. To accomplish this it is necessary that the jail’s staffing program includes a staff person who coordinates the jail’s diversion programs and handles justice system information requests. This individual would be part of or work closely with jail classification staff.

Table 4-3 summarizes the above noted options for reducing Racine County’s inmate numbers.

A straight-line projection suggests that these programs can reduce the forecast number from 890 to 718. This results in a jail bed requirement of 800 for the year 2020, as opposed to a historical based forecast figure of 975. The adjusted jail bed requirements for the years 2005 through 2020, inclusive of the estimated reduction of 75 inmates that would result from the opening of a state operated probation violator facility is presented in Table 4-4.

Opportunities exist for reducing current and future jail populations by 15% to 20%. To accomplish this, the various members of the criminal justice community would need to make a philosophical commitment and to some extent a financial commitment to alternative programming. Further reductions in County inmate numbers might also result from the opening of a state operated rule violator facility.

For planning purposes, a conservative approach to the impact of diversions efforts is required. This approach includes weekend bail hearings, actions by the prosecutor and defense to expedite pre-trial lengths of stay, actions by State Probation in reducing rule violation lengths of stay, and continued support by the courts for the Sheriff’s AODA, Children First and Day Reporting programs. These actions could result in inmate reductions approaching 10%.

Regardless of whether Racine County takes a comprehensive or selective approach to diversion programming, current institutional concerns will have to be corrected. The importance of the mentioned programming is that they will help limit future inmate growth and permit a more efficient use of local resources.

The following section provides a physical plant assessment of the Racine County Jail.

No other specific problems with the exterior were identified.

The interior of the building appears to be well maintained. There is an ongoing program for repair and replacement of carpet, floor tile, ceiling tile, etc. Painting is done on a regular schedule, with touch-up as needed. Keeping up with painting and general repair in the housing units is difficult, as double bunking of these units has resulted in a great deal more use than they were designed for. In particular, the shower areas have been deteriorating, but there is a program in place to redo these areas with more durable materials.

Seven air handling units were installed at the time of the original construction (1981). An eighth unit was added to serve courtrooms in the basement in 1983 and a ninth was added with the addition in 1989. All nine units are on regular in-house and outside service maintenance schedules. There are no major problems with these units, but there is no excess capacity in the air handling system.

There are no boilers in the building. Process hot water is "manufactured" out of steam at the court building across the street and piped through a tunnel under Wisconsin Avenue for heating. Most of this system is original equipment from 1981. Pumps, valves, etc. receive routine maintenance. There are no major problems with this system, but there is no excess capacity.

The domestic hot water system was installed in 2001, consisting of two Patterson/Kelly two bundle heat exchangers feeding a 10,000 gallon tank with hot water at 140º F (for kitchen and laundry use). Tempering valves at each unit reduce heat for showers and washing. This system is brand new and works well, but also has no excess capacity.

There are two chillers. One is the original 360-ton centrifugal type unit. Major rebuilds on this unit are done after 20,000 hours of operation with the last rebuild performed in 1999. The second chiller was added at the time of the 1989 addition. It is a semi-hermetic type unit and is due for major servicing this June. Both cooling towers were rebuilt in 1999 with new epoxy coating and plastic media to improve efficiency. Each is well maintained and regularly serviced. There are no major problems with the chillers or related systems. There is no excess capacity.

Temperature controls are a mix of the original Honeywell with Johnson Controls at central locations and are in the process of being replaced with new Robert Shaw CV Electronic Controls. Replacement is approximately one-quarter complete. All controls are working well now, and when fully replaced, should not require any attention beyond routine maintenance for several years.

In-house maintenance staff handles routine repairs (belts, motors, etc.). Contracted maintenance firms handle heavy-duty repair (i.e. Trane handles chiller servicing with three visits per season; and Honeywell, Johnson, and Robert Shaw all perform regular maintenance on their respective parts of the temperature control systems.)

There are no specific problem areas in any of this equipment; however, most of the equipment installed in the original construction is reaching the end of its life expectancy.

McNeal Environmental out of Minnesota did a study for asbestos in 1998. They were subsequently hired to be "Safety Director" for all County buildings. Aside from items that may be concealed (i.e. floor tile), there is no known asbestos remaining in the jail building.

The electrical service consists of the original and a secondary feed installed at the time of the 1989 addition. These feeds enter at 26,400 volts and are immediately stepped down. Annual tests are done on the transformers, to include oil changes and start-ups. The house voltage is 480/277 with step-downs to 208 and 120. Most electrical panels are near capacity leaving little room for additional circuits.

There are three transfer switches: the old main, a new main at the addition, and a separate one for the fire pump. Light fixtures are operable but have not been upgraded and, therefore, are not very efficient. There is no specific upgrade schedule in place at this time. The Fire Alarm system was entirely replaced in 1995 and works well. There is a 2001 budget item to upgrade the phone system for inmates. Exterior lighting is original and adequate.

ComTec did a complete upgrade to the security systems in 1998. There are new push-screen panels, camera monitors, etc. Controls to everything but cell doors were replaced at this time. This upgrade makes it possible for Central Control to take over control of any or all housing pods.

The emergency generator was new in 1989. It is a Cummings 600 kvh unit running on fuel oil. It can handle all security and door controls, air handling units, alarms, and lighting. It does not provide power for cooling.

The combination toilet/lavatory units in the cells are older units manufactured by Acorn. Spare parts for these units are no longer available causing the maintenance staff have had to fabricate any needed parts or use parts by other manufacturers. A project for complete replacement of these units is currently under consideration. The remaining plumbing systems exhibited no problems as of this report.

The air intakes for the building ventilation system are located such that they often "catch" truck exhaust from the unloading area, polluting the air circulating in the building. Parking is poorly laid out and sorely inadequate for workers, deputies, lawyers, and the visiting public. The laundry (626 square feet) should be much larger for a facility of this size. The kitchen has been remodeled and seems to have enough raw space; however, some food service equipment upgrades are needed, as well as a place for staff (and inmate workers) to eat lunch.

In summary, the building is in excellent general condition; however, it has reached an age where certain system replacements and upgrades will be required. In addition, a number of systems are at their absolute maximum capacity and cannot serve additional facilities on this site without major modifications or replacements.

There have been numerous operational evaluations of this facility over the years. The most relevant are the last two Jail Inspection Reports (1999 and 2000) and a 1999 National Institute of Corrections PONI project study. These, combined with our own study, indicate a number of problem areas in the day-to-day operation of this jail. These problems range from general overcrowding, to limited visiting time, to lack of classification of inmates. Many of these problems are related to the insecure and dangerous layout of the facility. The operational deficiencies are more complicated to correct; however, they are solvable.

Many of the major problems in the housing of inmates are related to the fact that the facility houses far more inmates than it was designed to accommodate. While the facility was designed for 324 inmates in a single bunking arrangement and then increased to 396 with the addition of D-wing, it has been double bunked for many years and in recent years has generally housed 600 to 650 inmates. Overcrowding combined with a lack of prisoner classification results in excessive wear and tear on the facilities, requiring greater maintenance costs, shorter life span for materials, etc.

The housing units are isolated in four separate towers; transportation of prisoners for medical treatment, visiting, etc. becomes a very cumbersome and staff intensive operation. Most cells have barred doors, a condition that creates a severe hazard for both inmates and guards, particularly where any special needs prisoners are housed. Within the housing floors themselves, visibility from the control stations into the units is poor. Sight lines to many areas of the housing units are completely blocked by the layout of walls within the units. This is a hazardous situation with potentially disastrous consequences, especially during 3^rd shift periods when only two officers must monitor three floors of housing.

These housing unit design/space deficiencies cannot be effectively addressed through redesign and renovation. The best solution is to reduce the population of the tower housing units to their design or workable operational capacities and ensure that staff is on post to observe all dayroom activities.

The male Huber Unit located on the main floor is better suited to its function than the tower units, as the inmates assigned to this unit present a much lesser security threat. It does, however, have some major problem issues. Primarily, this housing unit’s 80-bed rating does not provide sufficient capacity at current numbers and will be increasing. Additionally, the entrance to the Huber facilities is cumbersome for a single person to handle efficiently. Its location adds to the already complicated issue of security control, as the facility’s public entrance often sees a mixing of the public, sentenced inmates and arrested individuals. During peak unit access times, a second officer should be present to assist in processing Huber inmates back into the facility.

There is no dedicated Huber facility for women. Women on work release must pass through the same maze of entries and corridors that are used to transport prisoners to and from the secure housing units on the second through fourth floors. They are then housed in one of the second floor secure housing units with the general female population.

The extent of the programming and the number of inmates served by these programs are impressive. Of concern, however, is the fact that with the exception of the AODA program which uses housing area 2A, proper space is available for inmate program activities. The only dedicated areas are three small offices on the second floor and one adjacent meeting room for about eight people. Therefore, corridors and the gymnasium are often used for program activities, a situation that creates a significant security problem, especially as the overcrowding of the facility results in a mixing of security classification. Interview rooms for one-on-one counseling are not available. Lack of adequate space also weakens the program function by requiring that program design and scheduling respond first and foremost to whether there will be a location for the program and whether security staff will be available. While the breadth of the programming is to be commended, the lack of appropriate locations for conducting program services is a significant hindrance.

These design/space deficiencies can be improved through a redesign and renovation of the ground floor areas to provide additional classroom counseling space; however, staff will have to be available to secure this vertical inmate movement.

Although Wisconsin’s Jail Standards do not specify required amounts of exercise opportunities, insufficient exercise opportunity has been referenced in the State’s Inspection Reports. A gymnasium and outdoor exercise area are available for this endeavor; however, they are rarely used. At a minimum, inmates should have the ability to exercise one-hour daily outside when the weather permits.

Providing inmates with recreation and exercise opportunities is an important management tool. The areas now available for recreation and exercise are sufficient; however, they are not currently utilized due to a lacking of staff necessary to move inmates to and from the exercise areas and observe them during their exercise periods. Additionally, the gymnasium is heavily utilized for other program services.

The entire process for intake, questioning, processing, holding, and release or confinement is severely hampered by the physical arrangement of facilities for these functions. Virtually too little space is provided for any of the intake release functions. Just as troublesome and problematic to the operation of a secure facility are the adjacency problems. The following comments provide a basic, partial, and brief explanation of problem areas.

The problems start at the vehicle sally port. It is too small, has no drive through lanes, and is shared with all deliveries made to the building. The latter situation makes the sally port completely unavailable at times, forcing arresting officers to bring arrestees in through the main public entrance.

Regardless of the point of entry, suspects enter immediately into a quasi-public corridor before being questioned or processed in any way. These functions are carried out in small non-secure rooms along this same corridor. Arresting officers have very little space available for consultation, filling out paper work, etc.

There are two group-holding cells that are observable from the intake office. A separate suicide-watch cell adjacent to the group cells has very poor visibility from the intake office. Another group holding cell, which is visible from the intake office (the former detoxification group holding cell), is now used for fingerprinting. Fourteen double bunked cells are along a blind corridor that is perpendicular to the intake office. Most of these cells have barred fronts and often require periodic inspections by an officer, as they can house special management inmates. There are also four female holding cells that are not directly observable from the intake office that require half-hour visual inspections. At times, inmates in these cells are held in the corridor, while one of the cells is used to temporarily house a jail inmate brought down for video conferencing in an adjacent room.

The intake office that monitors activity in the holding area also monitors and controls secure entry from the vehicle sally port and entry into the Huber facility through a separate pedestrian sally port. It is also the reception area/contact point for the public, and court officers, and lawyers coming to talk with inmates. This area is very crowded, with too many people in too small a space trying to do too many things at once. There is inadequate record storage area, limited desk space, and minimal security in relation to the public entrance.

When a prisoner is moved to a cell floor, he must travel a circuitous route, along which he must stop to surrender his/her possessions and change into jail clothes. There are only two such "changing" stations. These are adjacent to a property storage area that was never adequate for the original 326 prisoners, let alone the existing population. A large amount of property storage capacity needs to be added.

These design/space deficiencies can only be addressed through a total redesign and renovation of the ground floor areas.

These design/space deficiencies can be addressed through a redesign and renovation of the ground floor areas.

A well functioning visitation program is essential to the successful operation of any correctional institution. Frequent visits by family members and friends help maintain family and community ties, and lessen the negative psychological consequences of confinement. In addition, visitation strengthens inmate morale and contributes to an easing of tensions and management problems."

The deficit encountered in the visiting program is not one that can be corrected through design, construction, or the addition of a video visiting capability although reprogramming the first floor of the facility will provide more opportunities for special visits. The primary solution, however, lies in reducing the population served by this area, adding more visiting days, and improving staffing levels to ensure the availability of escort staff.

The existing administration "unit" consists of one two-person open office which houses two administrative/clerical workers, all records and office storage. There is an adjacent private office for the Jail Captain. A storage room down a secure hallway has been ‘annexed’ by the staff for another 2-person office. There is also a ‘break room’ off of this same secure corridor, which is only large enough for one or two people at a time.

There are no training or exercise facilities for the staff and the locker/changing rooms, while minimally adequate, are small and dingy. Extra space and a better arrangement of facilities are sorely needed in the administrative area.

These design/space deficiencies can be addressed through a redesign and renovation of the ground floor areas.

The Racine County Jail provides psychiatric medication as required, however, the facility does not have an in-house clinical, mental health program. All jail facilities have a significant number of inmates with serious mental health problems. These individuals account for a disproportionately large amount of the facility’s time, energy and resources. Within the Racine County Jail, the problem is exacerbated by the double celling situation that creates a crowded atmosphere and extremely stressful environment.

At a minimum, the Racine County Jail should have the services of a full time mental health clinician, or otherwise contract for in-house mental health service personnel. The goal of in-house mental health services would be to provide for the detection, diagnosis, treatment, and referral of inmates with mental health problems and to provide a supportive environment during all stages of each inmate’s period of incarceration. This position would significantly enhance the quality of jail operations for staff and inmates and could result in fewer transfers from the system.

Frequent visits by family members and friends help maintain family and community ties, lessen the negative psychological consequences of confinement. In addition, "visitation strengthens inmate morale and contributes to an easing of tensions and management problems." As previously noted in this report, the lack of visiting capacity and the associated staffing result in an extraordinarily limited visiting program. Currently, the inmate population is limited to a single, 15 minute visiting session each Sunday.

Although Wisconsin’s jail standards do not set a specific standard for the amount of visiting time that should be afforded to each inmate, lack of visiting opportunities have been referenced in the State’s Inspection Reports. It should also be noted that the Consultant rarely encounters operations of less than two, 20 minute visiting periods a week. A full time position (1 FTE) would provide the necessary coverage and could be utilized for other security functions.

Although Wisconsin’s Jail Standards do not specify required amounts of exercise opportunities, insufficient exercise opportunity has been referenced in the State’s Inspection Reports. A gymnasium and outdoor exercise area are available for this endeavor; however, they are rarely used for recreation and exercise. The indoor gym is used extensively for jail programs. At a minimum, inmates should have the ability to exercise a minimum of one-hour daily outside when the weather permits.

Providing inmates with recreation and exercise opportunities, beyond the confines of their housing unit areas, is an important management tool. As stated in the Inspection Reports, "it (exercise) allows inmates to burn off some energy and get out of some very crowded quarters." To the extent that lack of exercise time is due to a lack of staff necessary to move inmates to and from the exercise areas and observe them during their exercise periods, the jail should be given the additional positions necessary for this function. At a minimum, this would require two additional staff positions.

As mentioned in the Facility Evaluation section of this report, it is necessary that a staff person be positioned to observe all inmate dayroom operations. Therefore, while on-going coverage is not required during 3^rd shift lock-down hours, staff should be on post for a portion of this shift. This coverage could most likely be provided by the addition of two full time positions with a seven day coverage factor.

As discussed in the diversion section of this report, community service work crews can be a valuable county resource. Inmates assigned to these crews can include Huber eligible and other lower custody level inmates. Participants in this program would be housed in the proposed Huber/low minimum custody facility. Two dedicated positions are recommended for this program.

Table 6-1 that follows provides the ACA Standards reference number and the anticipated number of additional staff necessary for compliance.

The addition of these 12 positions would significantly enhance current operations, resulting in a staffing number of 142. Based on the year 2000 ADP of 612 inmates, this would yield an efficient staff to inmate ratio of 1 to 4.3. While approval for permanent staffing positions can be a lengthy process, phasing the expansion of the 130 existing staff by the 12 recommended in Table 6-1 would help manage the crowded conditions more safely until additional bedspaces could be created through the options that will be presented in Chapter 7.

Racine County, like most urban jails, has a significant parking problem. Of the 130 existing staff, less than 20% have County-provided spaces within a block of the jail. Since the jail is a "24/7" operation, parking in close proximity is both a safety and accessibility concern. While the provision of dedicated parking spaces on-site for all correctional staff is infeasible, future development options should address long-term options.

Although public transit exists in Racine, from staff discussions, most employees of the jail prefer to drive or carpool to work. Estimating the number of desired parking spaces, therefore, assumes that 90% of the 130 staff (approximately 115) seek a parking space in close proximity to the jail. Since the jail is a 24-hour operation, not all of the estimated 115 spaces are utilized at one time.

Planning parking for a 24-hour facility (jails, hospitals, dispatch centers, etc.) requires enough spaces to meet the needs for the two most populous shifts. For the jail, the largest number of employees is assigned to the first and second shifts. Again, for planning purposes, 85% (or 98 staff) are assumed to be seeking parking spaces for these two shifts. Of this number, approximately 12 have assigned places on the jail site. Based on this analysis, at the present time, approximately 85 parking places are required to meet the "shift overlap" requirements for the peak staffing time.

Without expansion of existing alternatives or bedspaces, the County would have 92 fewer bedspaces in 2005 than the projected need. This shortfall increases to 170 by 2010, based on maintaining the rated capacity of the existing jail at 650. Without significant internal improvements (a new booking area, additional program space, expanded medical area, and improved outdoor recreation space, as examples), the existing jail should not continue to be occupied at the temporary DOC-rated capacity of 650. The 20-year plan, therefore, is based upon reducing the capacity of the existing jail to 450 by 2010. This increases the shortfall to 525 beds by 2020.

Four basic concepts were developed to meet the projected shortfall using a combination of alternatives and construction of additional bedspaces. All of the options assume that new minimum and medium custody beds are constructed during the 20-year planning period. These concepts are summarized in the following sections.

Concept 1 - No State Violator Facility – No Additional Diversion. If the State does not proceed with the construction of the 150-bed Parole Violator Facility in Racine County, and if the County does not "benefit" from having at least 75 of these beds dedicated to local violators, and if the County does not implement any further diversion programs except those in existence at this time, then Referring to Table 7-1 above, this would yield a shortfall of 525 bedspaces by 2020. As can be seen in Table 7-2, the County appears to have excess capacity even with only constructing the 204-bed Minimum Custody facility through 2010. However, with the implementation of the original and safer operating capacity (450-beds) for the existing jail by 2010, both the additional minimum and medium custody bedspaces will be required to meet the shortfall. Even with the total of 404 (204+200) additional bedspaces, the system will be short almost 100 (97) bedspaces by 2020.

Concept 2 - State Violator Facility – No Additional Diversion. This approach assumes that the State funds the approved Violator facility and proceeds with construction. Following the similar logic as the first concept, no additional diversion programs would be implemented but 75 fewer minimum custody beds would be necessary in the State facility. Based upon a requirement for 738 beds, continuing to operate the existing jail at 650 beds, and construction of the 204 minimum custody beds, the County would have an excess of 116 beds by 2010. However, with increased growth and a return of the jail to the original design capacity, a shortfall of 137 would occur by 2015, increasing to 214 by 2020. Therefore, the new 200-bed secure facility would be needed under this development concept between 2015 and 2020 ,as shown in Table 7-3.

Concept 3 - State Violator Facility – Traditional Approach to Additional Diversion. During the study, the key managers of the Racine County criminal justice system met as an Advisory Committee at least five times to discuss options for managing future growth. These discussions provided a realistic perspective on the use of jail alternative and reduction programs. The system managers applauded the efforts of many organizations in the quest for feasible alternatives and recommended the continuation of these programs with expansion of post-conviction programs, especially the Day Reporting Program. In Section 4 of this report, the menu of jail alternative and reduction programs that the Advisory Committee considered was presented.

Development Concept 3 is based upon the assumption that the current programs continue with modest growth. Under this approach, the County would have a potential surplus of 189 bedspaces by 2010, at which time implementation of the reduced operating capacity of the existing jail is recommended to activate. By 2020 a shortfall of 127 beds would occur without the construction of the 200 secure beds. These additional bedspaces would return the County to a surplus of 73 by 2020. Under this approach, the County would be operating a measurably safer system and one that permitted in-jail treatment programs to become even more effective. One of the chronic problems of the existing jail is the lack of space to conduct programs that could impact recidivism.

Table 7-4 illustrates the implications of this development concept.

Concept 4 - State Violator Facility – Expanded Approach to Additional Diversion. Racine County has a tradition of jail alternative and reduction programs as demonstrated in Section 4 and suggested in Concept 3. In the discussion of alternatives, suggestions were offered for expanding current programs. The consensus reached is that a broader use of pretrial intervention will require a comprehensive and long-term community education program. Since pretrial alternatives involve the release of offenders prior to a trial, the community expects a high degree of risk assessment prior to release.

Currently, approximately 30 to 35% of the ADP are involved in one of seven alternative programs. Most of those participating are involved in post-conviction programs. Opportunities to reduce the pretrial population primarily focus upon reducing the time to trial through removal of probation violators, expanded court intervention options, initiation of weekend Initial Appearance Hearings, among others.

To achieve a 30 to 35% reduction in ADP will require staff to operate the intervention and alternative treatment programs. Funding for these programs must continue from year-to-year or the jail’s population will increase to fill the void in program options. This fourth development concept assumes that the criminal justice system will develop and the County will fund the jail alternative and reduction programs addressed in Section 4.

Table 7-5 demonstrates that with expanded jail alternative and reduction programs, and the construction of a 204-bed minimum custody facility by 2005, the County would not experience a shortfall in bedspaces until approximately 2016. This attractive alternative to construction will require additional staff for screening and risk assessment, as well as supervision staff.

Section 5 documented the conditions of the current jail. From an operational perspective, the most pressing problem is the convoluted intake, release, and delivery area. Other problem areas include outdoor recreation space, medical area, program space, and visitation. However, to correct the intake and release problem the ground level will have to be reprogrammed and subsequently renovated to provide necessary support and planning space, correct design security issues, and provide 24, 72-hour "holding cells".

The preliminary assessment of space requirements reveals the need to reprogram, redesign and renovate approximately 17,300 SF of the jail’s ground level. The new vehicle sallyport requires approximately 2,700 SF. With the anticipated removal and use of the Wheeler Building and the reprogramming of the Huber housing area, there are no significant space hindrances to the program.

During project meetings, a number of site options for meeting future housing needs were discussed. The two options that generated significant discussion are referenced as Options A and B. Both are identical in their renovation of the Racine County Jail’s ground floor. Option A locates the 204-bed Huber facility at an off-site location, while in Option B, the Huber facility remains at the site of the existing jail. Both options can be modified to include the addition of 200 secure beds (four, 50 bed double cell units). For future reference Option A-1 refers to an on-site location while Option B-1 is off-site. The modified options are referenced as Options A-2 and B-2.

The preliminary assessment of space requirements reveals that a 204-bed Huber facility will require 46,000 to 49,000 SF depending on an on-site or off-site location. If developed on-site, the County Board Building will have to be relocated to make space for the new 4-story mid-rise Huber facility.

With the classification of Huber inmates, dormitory housing is a logical form for the housing unit. Significant experience of other jurisdictions and Racine County indicates that properly supervised, 64-bed housing units are appropriate for minimum custody inmates. The new housing is based upon three, 64-bed dormitory units for males and a 24-bed housing unit for minimum custody female inmates. A total of 204 beds would result from this off-site addition.

In addition to the dormitory housing units, approximately 12,000 new square feet for support areas to the housing will be necessary. Without a specific site location selected, an assumption has to be made that food will be prepared on the site of the new off-site facility. Medical triage should also occur at the site of the facility, even though inmates requiring overnight observation would be transferred to a community hospital or back to the Main Downtown Jail.

The off-site locations could include a new "green-field" site with no existing buildings, thereby permitting a special-built facility. Off-site could also include "brown-field" locations. Existing structures could be included in "brown-field" sites. Many examples of successful conversions for minimum custody facilities exist and, if a suitable site can be found, the feasibility of this approach should be seriously considered. In Tables 7-7, the estimated space requirements for an off-site Huber facility (Option A-1) to replace and expand the existing 80-bed male unit are shown. These estimates would also apply to a conversion of the existing building.

In Option B-2, the 204-bed minimum custody facility would be an addition to the existing jail rather than a stand-alone new facility. Only two locations are possible on the existing site; the southeast or the southwest sectors. As noted earlier, due to the restricted area of the site, the new addition will likely require four stories. The ground level should house support services with housing at the three upper levels. More detailed architectural studies should address the potential for a mezzanine configuration that could possibly reduce floor area size for the housing units.

Similar to the off-site option, Option B-2 includes space for support services. However, since the new Huber Component shares the site with the Main Jail, food services, medical, laundry, and other services could be accessed from the jail. This will involve transporting food and laundry. An enclosed connection between the main jail and the Huber facility may be feasible.

In Table 7-8, a preliminary program for a 204-bed addition to the existing jail is presented.

The top priority for Racine County is to improve the intake and release functions. This will require the relocation of the minimum custody housing area and re-assignment of this area to intake and release functions. Thus, initiation of changes in the intake and release area will mean resolving the minimum custody housing need. In previous sections, the off-site-and on-site options have been reviewed. Provision of 204 minimum custody beds will provide a "safe window" of approximately five years before new bedspaces will be required.

Secure beds will be required within 10 years. Since these beds will be assigned to pretrial inmates, the preferred location would be the site of the existing jail. Population forecasts presented earlier recommended 200 secure bedspaces. While a spatial program is not required at this time, approximately 50,000 to 60,000 square feet will be necessary for 200 secure bedspaces including support space.

Since these secure beds will most likely be assigned to medium custody inmates, close proximity to the existing facility is recommended. Given the estimated size of the additional bedspaces, a four-story addition will most probably be required.

As with any option, the advantages and disadvantages must be considered before embarking on a multi-million dollar construction program. From an operational perspective, the consolidation of all inmates at one site has measurable functional, security, and financial advantages. Support, whether for a security or food service need, is more efficient. However, with any additional expansion of the Downtown detention capability, Racine County will have consumed all available land at the present site. Expansion at the current site will also involve demolition of the County Board facility and the Wheeler House. Future detention needs beyond the timeframe addressed in this study will have to occur at an off-site location. Perhaps more importantly, without careful attention to scale and materials, any addition could be massively out of scale with the residential scale of Main Street.

The County must carefully weigh the benefits and costs in economic, security, operational, and community terms before choosing a location for the Huber and any the future secure bedspace expansion. Table 7-9 defines the advantages and disadvantages of an on-site or off-site location in qualitative terms.

During the course of the study, site studies were conducted to test the feasibility of retaining the Wheeler House. Although the building is more than 100 years old, the interior and exterior has been altered beyond historical significance. The aspect of the house that is important to Main Street is the scale. Various Downtown improvement groups have expressed a desire to maintain a residential scale in this area of Main Street.

The scale of the Wheeler House compliments that development goal. Future studies will determine the massing and architectural expression of the minimum and medium custody facilities that are located at the existing site. The scale of the Wheeler House can be maintained even if the house is demolished as recommended by the Advisory Committee and accepted by the Racine County Board. Of greatest importance is the continuation of a streetscape and scale that compliments the current blend of commercial, institutional, and residential expression.

At the present time, the Sheriff’s Department has ten on-street reserved parking spaces and parking for 15 vehicles below the existing jail. Approximately 35 spaces (assigned to the Courts and County Government staff) will be lost to the on-site program Option B. If the minimum and medium custody facilities are located at the existing site, approximately 200 staff will access the complex each day just for the detention component. Approximately 85% will be employed on the first two shifts, generating a parking need in the area of 150-160 spaces. Clearly, this level of parking need cannot be met on-site, without a costly investment in underground parking. The solution to parking in the Justice and Government Center must be comprehensive.

Figure 7-1 illustrates a possible site plan for a new Intake and Release Area by creating a new vehicular sallyport at the current location of the Wheeler House and converting the existing Huber housing to intake processing. This concept maintains the operation of 8^th Street. However, a more detailed study should be undertaken to evaluate the potential of closing 8^th Street to gain much needed parking spaces both for the jail, Courts, and Government Center staff.

A more effective means of assessing the impact of Option B, the on-site approach, is to consider the potential massing of the new vehicle sallyport and the Huber bedspaces. In Figure 7-2, the new vehicle sallyport is shown in the upper portion of the figure at the location of the current Wheeler House. The 204-bed minimum custody addition is shown in the lower portion of Figure 7-2. The four-story addition could be connected to the existing jail at either the ground level (as shown in the illustration) or at an upper level that would permit authorized vehicular circulation through the site.

This isometric study is to illustrate a three-dimensional view of possible site massing and is not an architectural expression of the façade treatment. The next stage of development will address the architectural expression of Option B.

As has been noted earlier, Option B proposes the construction of both the minimum and medium custody additions to the existing jail at the current site. With the completion of the secure 200 medium custody bedspaces at a future date, the site will reach full capacity as shown in Figure 7-3. A more detailed architectural study is required to determine the most cost effective operational and urban design approach. However, as is evident from the site isometric diagram, the jail complex will completely occupy the existing site causing the demolition of the Commissioner's Building and adjacent parking area.

In the evaluation of the appropriate direction for Racine County, both operating and capital costs have been addressed.

The staffing cost of a correctional facility may account for upwards of 75% of operating expenses. As planning and design progresses, estimates of operating costs can be more precisely developed. At this stage of the project, the preliminary staffing numbers are intended to provide a general guideline for assessing the operational cost implications of the four described options.

Table 7-10 indicates the staffing requirements for each option. As would be expected, Option A – Off-Site Location, requires more staff than Option B where both the Huber and Secure Additions can take advantage of existing staff. The major staff differences are related to a Facility Supervisor (not required under Option B) and Support Staff that will be required under the Off-Site Option. As can be seen from the table, the off-site Option requires approximately 10 more staff for the Huber Facility than constructing the 204-bed addition at the existing site. With the 200 secure beds, the staffing differential becomes approximately 14. At an average salary and benefits for Detention Deputies, in annual cost terms, this staffing difference between the two options is approximately $788,800 in favor of Option B-2.

Factoring in the assumption that non-staff operating costs will add an additional 25% to the cost of operations, the operational cost premium associated with the off-site options is estimated to be $725,000 annually for the Huber Facility and $986,000 annually for both the Huber and Secure Facilities. An anticipated annual vehicle operating cost of $12,500 and $25,000 should be added to these estimates.

In the construction industry, costs are driven by many factors that are difficult for local Government to control. Labor costs generally represent approximately 50% of the total cost and labor rates are very much market-driven. In recent years, labor costs have been rising, reflecting, among other conditions, a competitive economy and a shortage of qualified trades persons. Generally speaking, local general and sub-contractors have been busy creating a situation where more work exists than available workers.. A strong economy has produced more projects, thus the range of bidders has narrowed in some instances. The regional result has been a gradual increase in construction costs.

The state of the general economy is evolving, making the prediction of construction costs less stable. However, to provide a guide for Racine County to evaluate the two basic options, a cost-per-square-foot range was used based upon data published in the Means Cost Guidelines and tested by comparison to recent correctional projects in the region.

For the Huber project, the off-site square footage range is estimated to be $108 to $127 in 2001 dollars. To construct a similar-sized, but multi-level Huber addition on-site, this range increases to $153 to $183 per square foot. The approximately 44% higher cost for expanding the existing jail for Huber beds is the general conditions associated with a restricted, urban site and the mid-rise design solution that will be necessary.

Another approach has been included in the Off-site Option. The City of Racine has a variety of vacant or under-utilized buildings that have substantial remaining useful life and could be renovated for a detention purpose. While no specific facility emerged during the course of the study, several locations within the City were visited as possible candidate areas. Without a specific building, cost estimation is difficult. However, based upon the experience of other communities that have followed a similar course, the retrofit costs for a "brown-field" site was estimated to be 25% less than new construction. The study also assumed that only Huber inmates would be appropriate candidates for a "brown-field" site.

In Table 7-11, the estimated construction cost for the two options is presented. A 30% factor has been added to the construction estimate to include fees, furniture and equipment, site preparation, and other similar costs. A broad estimate for underground parking (64-spaces) has been included in Option B-2. While sub-surface parking is very expensive, this option may be necessary given the extreme shortage of parking in the vicinity of the Justice Complex.

Including Project Costs, the cost range for the Huber-only options is from $8.6 million, if an appropriate Brown-Field site is located, to $13.6 million for an on-site addition to the existing jail. In all cases, these estimates include making the necessary alterations to the existing Huber area to accommodate the new Intake and Release Area.

If a suitable Brown-Field location is identified, unless the site has sufficient area, the next stage of providing 200 secure beds will require either expansion on the existing site (Option B) or finding an appropriate new "green-field" site (Option A). Under Option A and a "brown-field" solution for the new Huber beds, the County would be operating three separate facilities. An order of magnitude estimate for a "brown-field" (Huber) and "green-field" (Secure) combination would be $19.0 million, while Option A-2 is $20.3 million, and Option B-2 is $25.9 million.

The final decision must combine site costs, operating costs, and construction costs and account for the long-term costs and benefits of the "brown-field," "green-field," and existing site options.

The choice of options should take into account the annual operating and debt service costs. As has been noted, the annual operating costs are largely staff-driven and Option B (On-site) represents the greatest opportunity to maximize existing staffing resources. However, Option B-2 is the most expensive capital cost due to the aforementioned problems of constructing on the restricted existing site. However, as shown in Table 7-12, the operational savings from Option B offset the higher construction costs over a five and twenty-year timeframe,.

A review of the table confirms the earlier statement that operating cost is the major financial factor to be considered. Even though Option A-2 is approximately $5.6 million less in capital cost than Option B-2, the lower annual operating cost for the On-Site Option yields an average annual savings over five years of approximately $600,000. Within 10 years, the savings in annual operating cost could offset the difference in capital cost. At this stage of evaluation, the County would be wise to invest additional study into the feasibility of a "brown-field" site for the Huber beds, as well as more detailed architectural programming and site concepts for Option B-2. Also, a determination that the existing site can economically accommodate both the Huber and Secure additions would provide a more analytical basis for the site selection process.

Similar to most urban counties, Racine County is momentarily enjoying a respite from the dynamic growth that characterized most jails during the last two decades. The phenomenal growth in incarceration throughout the country is unparalleled since the 1950’s. Therefore, demographers, criminologists, and politicians alike are uncertain how to plan for the future, but all agree that planning is essential.

Through this consensus-building approach over the past five months, Racine County has confronted the past and projected a logical future that involves continued focus on diversion programs for those inmates that qualify. For inmates that must be detained for the safety of the community and retribution, the County offers an expanding array of in-house treatment programs aimed at permanently interrupting the pattern of criminality.

The outcome of this Needs Assessment is a recommendation that the County continue to expand the diversion programs with an aim of reducing the ADP by as many as 160 to 200 inmates by 2020 while proceeding with improvements to the existing conditions of confinement. Specifically, the study recommends a gradual return to the DOC-suggested operating capacity of 450. This would vastly improve the safety of the current facility and extend the life of the support systems. While a preferred outcome would have been a "no-build" plan, projected increases in bedspace needs to 975 by 2020 will require additional construction.

The recommended plan is the construction of a new Intake and Release component as soon as possible to correct serious security and spatial problems. To accomplish this high priority task will require the use of the existing Huber housing unit. In addition, support services for medical, food, and laundry should be expanded to meet the increasing ADP. Therefore, in conjunction with the new Intake and Release component and expanded support core, the County should initiate more detailed design for a new 204-bed minimum security housing unit for male and female inmates. This will vastly improve the operation of the existing facility.

Depending on how aggressive the County can be in implementing and sustaining alternative programs to divert offenders from incarceration, additional secure beds may be able to be delayed until 2010, or beyond. However, based upon past trends, the County would be wise to have a plan ready to implement the additional 200 secure beds within a decade.

Finally, a decision on the future site for the Huber and Secure bedspaces is necessary at this time. The evaluation has illustrated that a 20-year need can be met on the existing site, but will maximize all available site area, leaving no further room for expansion at the existing site beyond 20 years. While operational costs are less by remaining at the current site, long-term needs of the County for court and general government expansion should also be addressed at this time. More detailed planning and design studies may be necessary to confirm the full potential of the existing site in light of other governmental needs.