TR-85-3 Jails —2
Therefore bb it resolved:
That the Agawam Town Council, representing the people of Agawam,
1 in the com-ionwealth of iias achussettat do hereby state their opposition
to any proposal before the state legislature advocating a state takeover
of the county jail and house of correction system. LAt it be known
that the Agawam Town Council stands firmly behind the county administration
and property ownership of its incarceration facilities, and the respon—
sibility for sac! WIVIusl county to assume Its own capitol debts..
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ROLL CALL VOTES - AGAWAM TOWN COUNCIL
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' AGENDA ITEM TR- 85 o Se (:;-,korke ku1Lc-over o [ovvAy �ls
,.`VOTE YES N YE NO AB YEc No AB
Blatt Neil H. 1�
V
DeForQe, Phillip J. ✓
' DeLucchi, Mario John
Gallano, Andrew f
Lacienski, Daniel J. ✓
_ ._. _
Lon o, Peter v/
ar Fr de ri ~` ' 85 ✓
Nelsen, Dorothy
Faleologopoulos, Paul
Rheault, Donald Y
Sha ✓
ugliness John P.
Trehey, Alfred
' Trimboli, Paul Vincent, Jr.
VOT4
LS S
Jails
16 A statehouse committee advocating the state takeover of •county jails
and houses of correction will serve as an effective ball-out of a $12,2
million debt incurred by Boston, but strip Hampden County of what has
proven to be a most cost-effective county jail program.
The present proposed legislation, expected is be on the state house
floor in January 1986) oalla for the commonwealth to assume all coots
of operating county jails, While this would sound like an opportunity
for local governments to recieve additional funds, it must be noted
that Governor Michael Uuakakis in an interview with the Boston 0lobe
said funds presently distributed in farms of local aid would be decreased
by. 460 million-,. In effoot, the pi-ogram would be paid, for with 1*0&1 Amoy,
The proposal alas calls for the state to take title to all county
facilities and assume all capitol debt on these facilities. Again it
sounds good, but, Hampden County has NO debt an any of its facilitiea:,
very much unlike facilities located in the eastern part of the state,
' The proposal further calls for county employees to be designated as
state employees, though the counties will still be responsible for
funding pension costs which will become greater since the s ate *ill
allow retirement benefits to personnel at a younger age: lha�ceunty
programs,
One state house report on the subject has also called for over—all
Increased staffing of the prevent county facilities, and has recommended
substantial expenditures be made for equipimzent and capitol improvements.
The four counties referred to as delinquint, understaffed, and In
need of repairs for correctional facilities are Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk
and•Worcester.
Onto again it becomes painfully obvious the politicians in the eastern
part of the state have toms to view the cost efficient programs in the
western part of the state as a plum to be used to bail them out from