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Miami County closing incarceration facility by year’s end

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By Nancy Bowman, Contributing Writer 8:23 PM Saturday, November 7, 2009

TROY – Sheriff Charles Cox will close the Miami County Incarceration Facility at year’s end, cutting another 28 corrections officer jobs and idling 240 jail beds.

The decision to close the facility resulted from a third round of cuts this year to meet a combined 12-percent reduction in budgets from 2009 to 2010 by the county commissioners.

“You’re either going to have to layoff a lot of deputies or, another option, is closing the incarceration facility,” Cox said in October as he looked at ways to cut his $10 million-a-year budget.

Before cuts began, the sheriff’s department had 135 employees including 53 sworn officers.

In May, Cox laid off five correction officers followed by another 10 in September. In addition, five positions were vacant at the time of the first layoffs.

Those steps resulted in closing of two of the pods at the 10-year-old incarceration facility on County Road 25A between Troy and Piqua.

The building houses non-violent offenders and prisoners under contract from other jails and the federal marshal’s service. Use declined as other counties battled budget woes and did not send as many inmates. The county jail housed with the sheriff’s office in downtown Troy holds 110.

County elected officials and department heads met again Thursday, Nov. 5, with commission Chairman John “Bud” O’Brien to discuss how to implement the 12-percent budget cut. Pay cuts, furloughs and layoffs have been among options discussed by officials who earlier were given information on various implications of a cost-saving measure such as unemployment payments required for those laid off.

Sales tax income for the county has consistently been down from a year ago in month-by-month comparisons and income from investments has dropped.

Revenues to the general fund from those two sources this year is down nearly $1 million from the same period in 2008, the commissioners were told in late October.

Contact this reporter at nancykburr@aol.com or (937) 339-4371.

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This has to be a joke. C.Os. cut but how many secretary/support staff have been let go? I know they have a load of them. How come I haven't heard of any layoffs for the maintenance/road crews? How come I have a feeling Com. Wiedner's boy is working in one of those dept. after losing his teachers license? By state law the sheriff is mandated to maintain a county jail. No where does it say maintaining deputies to run radar eating donuts. Do your job Cox and keep these cretins of the streets.

Get Real
8:30 AM, 11/16/2009

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well Kaiti this is what is happening right now most of our so called non violent offenders are being released. The commissioners have the money but, the don't want to cut in to the so called "carry over balance" its plain politics and corruption its going to be alright come spring time we are almost at capacity right now (107). when federal Judge Rice finds out about the over crowding in the jail again they will have to re-open that jail. We will have plenty of warrants to fill those beds with.

Greg
9:51 PM, 11/10/2009

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HELLO PEOPLE WHAT ABOUT ALL THE INMATES BEING PUT ON HOUSE ARREST OR JUST RELEASED. I WAS ASSUALTED BY AN INMATE THERE IN FRONT OF MY HOME. HE'S A FELON AND THE POLICE FOUND AN MASTERPIECE ARMS .45 CALIBER ASSAULT RIFLE FULLY LOADED IN HIS HOUSE! NOW HES JUST GONNA BE PUT ON HOUSE ARREST OR EVEN RELEASED? THERE ARE ROUGHLY 200 INMATES IN MIAMI COUNTY JAIL. DO WE REALLY WANT INMATES RELEASED SO THEY CAN GO BACK TO COMMITING CRIMES!

KAITI
9:30 PM, 11/10/2009

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A few thoughts.

Like all of us, there should be cutbacks. A 12% cutback on all departments are implemented. The reainy day fund is just that to hold over government in case of an emergency. You foxes want to raid the henhouse at the first sign of trouble. I agree that benefits should not be the reason to take up a 'career' in public service, but instead be a 'benefit', in the tuer sense of the word.

As for the sales tax, well live by taxing people, fall by taxing people.

Jerry
3:26 PM, 11/9/2009

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What is the real crime is after serving a few terms as commissioners, we as tax payers are required FOR LIFE to pay past commissioners health insurance for them and their spouses! This goes for most township trustees also!! What a racket!! Wonder why farmers serve as township trustees and commissioners so much?Who else leaves a job after 8-10 years and has their healths premiums for them and their spouses paid for life?? NO ONE!! Stick together public, and say NO MORE to these bureaucrats!!

Absoultely Nuts!!
5:58 PM, 11/8/2009

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