Salt Lake jail delays opening doors due to Y2k worries

greenspun.com : LUSENET : TimeBomb 2000 (Y2000) : One Thread

Monday, September 13, 1999

S.L. jail delays opening doors due to Y2K worries

Associated Press

Good news for taxpayers and lawbreakers: the opening of the new Salt Lake County Jail has been pushed back again. Sheriff Aaron Kennard told county commissioners Sept. 7, that because of concerns about staff, security and Y2K, the $131 million jail will not be ready to receive prisoners until late in January. This news, combined with previous delays, will save the county $5.6 million in operating costs this year. "We ought to take advantage of the savings," said Commissioner Brent Overson, who along with fellow Commissioners Mary Callaghan and Mark Shurtleff has been battered by property owners angered at tax notices projecting hikes ranging from 6 percent to more than 20 percent. This will save $12 on the average ($167,000) home. It also will mean the jail will continue to have to release prisoners to avoid overcrowding. The new jail was scheduled for a partial opening in October, but that was before commissioners hired a consultant to study the facility's staff needs. With the consultant's report expected shortly, Kennard had hoped to be up and running by year's end. He opted to delay the opening again, mostly to be sure all of the bases are covered before prisoners begin arriving. "We need to work the bugs out," said Kennard. "I don't think it would be prudent to go in, open it up, and then get hit with a security or Y2K problem."

http://www.deseretnews.com/dn/view/1,1249,115008722,00.html?

-- Homer beanfang (Bats@inbellfry.com), September 14, 1999

Answers

Here in Iowa the new prision will not have inmates until after Jan 1, 2000 even though it is either completed or will be shortly. The reasoning is that if any of the prisons, jails, etc have a problem, this would be a place to move prisoners to.

-- Beckie (sunshine_horses@yahoo.com), September 14, 1999.

Becky,

I live in California, the last article I read on the California prison system they were going to go "fix on failure". Could be interesting.

-- Homer Beanfang (Bats@inbellfry.com), September 14, 1999.


Moderation questions? read the FAQ