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Jail operator, county need to mend fences

If they were married, it would be safe to say the relationship is on the rocks. There is a history of criticism and rejection, and now it appears there is a trust issue.

But the union between Hernando County government and the company that runs the county jail, Corrections Corporation of America, is less complex than a marriage. They don't have to like each other; they just have to satisfy the other's needs and expectations.

Still, it sounds like it might be time for both parties to have a heart-to-heart talk about how committed they are to continuing their partnership and what they can do to make each other happier.

In June, CCA removed Ellen Hawks as warden after a controversy about members of her staff allowing the extradition of two inmates to the U.S. Virgin Islands without proper authorization. CCA replaced Hawks with Arvil "Buddy" Chapman, but County Administrator Gary Adams exercised a clause in the contract that gives him the right to reject any warden. In this case, Adams deemed Chapman too inexperienced for the job.

CCA responded by appointing Thomas "Denny" Durbin as warden, a selection that satisfied Adams. But recently Adams learned that Durbin was not giving his full attention to Hernando County.

Durbin still lives in Panama City, where he was warden of the Bay County jail, and has been operating mainly in an advisory capacity in Hernando County. It appears Chapman is actually running the show at the jail, contrary to the county's wishes. Now Adams has demanded that Durbin be ousted as warden.

The County Commission pays CCA $10-million a year to run the jail, a formidable task that is vitally important to the public's safety. Adams is right to oversee that interest zealously and to expect CCA to comply not only with every detail of the contract, but to operate in a straight-forward manner as a good corporate neighbor. Shuffling a top corrections official in name only is unacceptable, especially considering the recent management turnover at the jail.

The county's contract with CCA runs through 2010 and either party can terminate that agreement with 120 days' notice. That is not likely to happen, though, because CCA does the job for much less than it would cost the Sheriff's Office, which had the responsibility until the commission built a new jail in 1988 and hired CCA to run it.

But if CCA violates the contract, the company could be fined, the current contract declared invalid and a new one written.

It would not be in the best interest of taxpayers for that to happen. They are paying for an $11-million expansion, which should be finished by the end of this month. The transition should be smooth and free from distractions. Having a qualified leader in place who meets the county's approval is essential to that progress.

The County Commission should remedy its differences with CCA and try to restore the trust that is necessary for a healthy relationship.

[Last modified September 7, 2005, 01:01:15]