Cameron

This Thursday, Nov. 13 at 6:30 p.m. in the Chesapeake Building at Government Center in Leonardtown, there will be a public briefing to discuss the Adult Detention Center hosted by Sheriff Timothy Cameron. The current facility, as originally built, was designed to hold up to 230 inmates. At the time of this writing, the facility currently houses an average of 304 inmates.

J. Harry Norris, Leonardtown’s mayor stated that the jail was never designed to be a long-term facility, but rather a temporary holding area for those awaiting trial in the courthouse. “We appreciate everything the Sheriff is doing on behalf of our town and for St. Mary’s County,” said Norris. “There are concerns about the plans for expanding the jail from its current capacity to 524.”

Norris recognized that because of the efforts of law enforcement, more prisoners are being housed, but emphasized that Leonardtown had recently tabled a number of planned developments because the town’s water and sewer infrastructure was not able to

 
 Norris

accommodate that growth without a major expansion. “That is one aspect of the problem,” said Norris. “We want to encourage the County Commissioners to look at a long-range solution to the problem and to seek out a site for a regional detention center.”

Cameron stated that because the state provides up to 50 percent matching funds, if the site were to be moved, that funding would not be made available. “They have funded the engineering and architectural plan part of the construction, which is the first phase for any construction,” said Cameron. He went on to state that after the planned current expansion, the county would be forced to look elsewhere. “The expansion and renovation will accommodate inmates through 2025,” said Cameron. “But, after that, according to engineers, there will be no more options, but to build elsewhere.”

Norris explained that a number of homeowners associations and businesses are concerned with adding capacity in the center of the small community. He stated that he would rather the current facility be returned to its original purpose as a housing facility for the courthouse and those on trial.

Cameron concurred with Norris, adding, “The way to get a regional detention facility is for the Calvert, Charles and St. Mary’s counties to agree that a regional facility is necessary.” He went on to state that the three county sheriff’s will be meeting to discuss just such a plan for the future.

”It would be better that the planning for something like a regional detention center starts now, not in 2025 when the expanded facility is again overcrowded,” said Cameron.

The situation in St. Mary’s County now sees inmates being incarcerated at the Adult Detention Center for as long 18 months, regardless of the offenses committed. Some inmates are sentenced to consecutive sentences keeping them in the facility for up to 36 months, even though, sentences longer than 18 months are supposed to be served in a state penitentiary and not a local jail.

“We are fortunate that we have had no problems with the jail, but that jail has