SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (AP) - Pressure from constituents who don’t want someone else’s scofflaws sticking around town prompted Joplin City Council members to unanimously reject a request to house Springfield inmates in Joplin’s jail.
Springfield has been dealing with an inmate crisis since Greene County stopped accepting municipal inmates into its jail more than a year ago.
While the city has been able to farm out some of its municipal prisoners to the jail in Taney County 70 miles southeast of Springfield, it also has met resistance because the police department refuses to give freed inmates rides back to Springfield.
Despite assurances from Springfield Mayor Bob Stephens and Police Chief Paul Williams last week that the prisoners would not be dangerous, Joplin council members weren’t convinced, the Joplin Globe (https://bit.ly/2eFAI5v) reported.
“I have been contacted by more people on this than on any other issue in my 12 years on council,” Councilman Phil Stinnett said. “When this many people come forward, there has to be a compelling reason to go against the citizens of the community.”
Other council members spoke of similar feedback about inmates being stranded in Joplin once their cases were resolved.
Under the proposed contract, Springfield would have paid $50 per inmate, per day, to house them in Joplin’s jail.
Springfield has no place to send its municipal detainees because the Greene County sheriff stopped taking them last year. A lawsuit on that decision was heard in court last week, but it could be weeks before the judge hands down his ruling.
Springfield has a contract with Taney County to house its inmates, though many offenders are simply being released on bond or their own recognizance.
Miller County stopped taking Springfield’s inmates a few months ago because too many were being left stranded in the tiny town that housed the jail.
Williams has said his department has neither the authority nor responsibility to give the inmates a ride once they’re out of that jail.
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Information from: The Joplin (Mo.) Globe, https://www.joplinglobe.com
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