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White City prison plan moves ahead By Damian Mann,Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Damian Mann,Mail Tribune Posted Aug. 18, 2006 at 2:00 AM Updated Dec 18, 2010 at 11:42 PM By Damian Mann,Mail Tribune Posted Aug. 18, 2006 at 2:00 AM Updated Dec 18, 2010 at 11:42 PM » Social News Land is designated for one of two state lock-ups, with as many as 1,200 beds — State officials say tentative plans call for construction to begin in 2012 on a new prison off Foothill Road near White City. "I think it's highly likely that eventually there will be one there," said Linda Gilbert, policy and budget analyst for the state Department of Administrative Services. The Department of Corrections is considering starting construction of a 432-bed prison in October 2012 and another 1,200-bed prison in November 2012. One of the two prisons would be built on land in White City and the other in Junction City, but a final decision hasn't been made yet. The 319-acre White City property, purchased by the Department of Corrections in 1999, is east of Foothill Road between East Vilas and Corey roads. It has already been "super-sited" by the state in a process that clears a number of planning hurdles. Former Gov. John Kitzhaber chose the Foothill Road property for both a minimum and medium-security facility in 1997 after the passage of Measure 11, the mandatory minimum sentence law. Jackson County Commissioner Jack Walker, who opposed the prison idea when it was originally proposed, said, "I certainly fought that thing tooth and nail." He said he toured California and Nevada in the late 1990s and visited communities that had prisons. "I came to the conclusion I didn't want it in Jackson County," he said. Because the state has already purchased the property, Walker said, there is very little the county can do to block the prison. However, he said, he would make sure that corrections officials address the impact on traffic, particularly on Highway 62 and Highway 140. "If this thing happens, I want to be standing there saying, 'What in the heck do we get out of this?'" he said. Gilbert said corrections officials will listen to suggestions from the community and take into consideration the impact on sewer systems, water and transportation. "I don't think the state has gone in as jack-booted thugs," she said. The state is currently building an 1,800-bed prison in Madras as part of an ongoing program to expand the number of prison beds in Oregon. Gilbert said the state had planned to build another prison sooner than 2012, but the number of Measure 11 crimes hadn't grown as fast as earlier predictions. State Rep. Dennis Richardson, R-Central Point, who recently looked into the status of the prison, said Jackson County residents might have to get used to the idea of a prison in their midst. "With the voters passing Measure 11, and law enforcement getting tough on crime, we're going to need another prison," he said. Jackson County has also grown considerably over the past decade and produces its own share of prisoners, said Richardson. Richardson said he's not a proponent of placing a prison in Jackson County, but added, "We want people in prison, and we have to pay for those prisons and they have to be sited some place." Still, he said, prisons can have a negative impact on communities; for instance families of prisoners tend to move close to the prisons. Residents want criminals locked up, but they don't necessarily want them in their communities, Richardson acknowledged. "These are complicated issues for society," he said. Reach reporter at 776-4476 or . By Damian Mann,Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Damian Mann,Mail Tribune Posted Aug. 18, 2006 at 2:00 AM Updated Dec 18, 2010 at 11:42 PM » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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