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Federal govt. drop portable jail plan
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Posted on Jun 28 1999
The US government has dropped its earlier plans to bring a portable jail on Saipan which will serve as a detention facility for CNMI prisoners awaiting trial for federal offense.
Saying it has gone by the wayside, Public Safety Commissioner Charles Ingram, it will prove costly for the federal government to repair the portable jail previously owned by the US Navy based in Florida.
“The federal detention facility has been dropped due to the cost of the renovation,” he said.
During his meeting with federal officers this month, Ingram inquired if the CNMI government can instead use the money to upgrade its existing detention.
“We’re asking if they would consider to give us the money that is left in rebuilding our present detention,” he said.
The estimated amount of money left is $250,000, amount which will bring the present facility to the American Corrections Association standards, as well as comply with the consent decree earlier issued to the CNMI government, he said.
“We would be able to do that,” he said, adding that the ground breaking ceremonies for the new facility has been pushed back and the start of its construction work has remained indefinite.
Earlier, Ingram has informed the media that his office was looking at available jail space in the mainland as a contingency plan to address the continued delay in the construction of the new correctional facility.
The federal government will still respond to CNMI’s request for the money that was left in the pervious plan to construct the portable federal detention facility on Saipan.
Following the first prison standoff on Saipan where six inmates were charged with several counts of federal offense, the federal government requested the local administration to reserve a parcel of land for the portable jail.
It was said to accommodate a total of 10 inmates in five separate rooms and needed 50 feet by 50 feet piece of land.
The detention facility was seen to ease mobility and court scheduling problems for federal prisoners coming from the CNMI. Currently, local prisoners who are charged with federal offense are detained on Guam and are flown to Saipan during their court trial.
