Jail board believes Zuni may hold key to financial freedom

McKinley County Adult Detention Center Lt. Steve Silversmith puts a key in the door of a holding cell Monday at the detention center on Boardman Avenue in Gallup. Since McKinley County took over the operations of the facility the annual cost has risen from $1.6 million to $2.2 million, but there have been no major incidents at the center in that year. (Photo by Jeff Jones/Independent)

By Leslie Wood
Staff Writer

GALLUP — Members of the Gallup-McKinley County Jail Authority Board discussed their upcoming plans to develop housing contracts with detention facilities on the Zuni reservation during their monthly meeting Monday night.

The jail's management is looking to generate increased income by housing inmates from other facilities in both the state and on the reservation. The Gallup location is currently not filled to capacity.

Facility Coordinator Donna Goodrich said she is preparing to give a presentation to Zuni pueblo officials on Jan. 14.

The Gallup-McKinley Adult Detention Center housed 23 reservation inmates during the month of December, which equaled 132 billable days for the facility.

Goodrich said the inmates where overflow inmates from the Zuni detention center. A new Zuni jail is under construction, but Goodrich said the newly-constructed facility is about the same size as the older one, which could mean an expectation of some housing potential.

Gallup detention center officials need increased income to offset medical and personnel costs the facility has encountered since a privately-owned company relinquished control of the center to the city and county more than a year ago.

"Things are picking up slowly," Goodrich said.

In other news, the Gallup-McKinely Adult Detention Center passed an inspection by Immigration and Naturalization Services. Goodrich said the only recommendation offered by INS officials was to translate the inmate handbook into Spanish. She said she quickly complied.

To decrease medical costs further for the facility, officials are also considering purchasing inmate medication by bulk, instead of per inmate.

The medication can still be tailored to each inmate by placing it into individual bubble packs, Goodrich said.

"That should save some money," she said.

The board is also preparing to determine a working budget for the detention center's next fiscal year.

Larry Binkley, assistant city manager, said the board may have to decrease its 3.6 million dollar operating budget for the upcoming year.

Following the meeting, the board called a closed session to discuss pending litigation with City Attorney George Kozeliski and contract bids with neighboring jails.