Houck bill would allow state funds to build new jail

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Houck introduces budget amendment that could lead to new jail in Culpeper

By DONNIE JOHNSTON

Date published: 2/2/2005

The first step has been taken toward getting Culpeper County a badly needed new jail.

Sen. Edd Houck, D-Spotsylvania, has introduced a budget amendment to the Senate Finance Committee that would ultimately finance a new 150-bed jail at the Coffeewood Correctional Facility near Mitchells.

"This is a matter I have been working on for over a year with the Culpeper County Board of Supervisors and Sheriff [Lee] Hart," Houck said in a news release yesterday. "With the growing population of Culpeper County, a new jail has been long overdue."

The Culpeper jail, built in 1908 and renovated in 1987, is designed to house about 55 inmates. Most weekends, it has more than 100 prisoners, many sleeping together on makeshift beds.

Hart is often faced with temporarily shifting prisoners to other facilities to alleviate the overcrowding.

"We had to get something started in the legislature," Hart said. "We want to try to make use of Coffeewood, maybe even get land [for the new jail] there."

If Houck's proposal is approved by the General Assembly, Culpeper County would have until March 1, 2006, to submit jail plans to the Department of Corrections.

If those plans are approved, funds for the project would be made available during the 2007 General Assembly session.

To reach DONNIE JOHNSTON: DJohn40330@aol.com

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Date published: 2/2/2005