YAKIMA, Wash-- With two inmate escapes in the past two years, some people who live near the Yakima County Pacific Avenue Correction Center want to know why security isn't beefed-up.
For security purposes the Yakima County Department of Corrections can't say what they are or are not doing to beef-up security. People who live near the corrections facility on Pacific Avenue have mixed feelings about adding security.
As you look around State Fair Park you see fencing with barbed wire at the top. When your eye makes it to the correction center you'll see tall black fence with no barbed wire.
"We've been here for years, but the thing of it is the gal darn jail hasn't. And you know if they're going to put a jail up and have prisoners they outta have them where you can secure 'em," said Richard Swier, homeowner.
Richard and his family fought the building of the jail, others don't mind it. One man I spoke with thinks adding barbed wire would be inhumane, having been on both sides of the fence himself.
He said desperation is a powerful force.
"They're gonna climb through the barbed wire, they're gonna find a way to cut the barbed. Just like being in prison, people will find out ways to make knives to kill another person," said Cheslee Drummond, homeowner.
County specs show the perimeter of the jail lot to be around 2,800 feet.
We priced barbed wire to surround the entire site. Razor wire from Academy Fence Company totaled $4,000.
A lesser grade barbed wire, similar to that around State Fair Park would cost around $550.
Now those numbers are for raw materials, labor's not included. Cheslee doesn't think barbed wire is the answer.
"You know I see the point and I see the gesture of it but, the prison guards need to pay more attention and have more consistency," said Drummond.
"They could secure it a lot better than they have, like putting razor wire across the top or have a guard walk around out there once in awhile," said Swier
Darrel Church escaped the correction center September of 2007 then turned himself in five days later. Eddie Hall escaped November 19, 2008 and is believed to be somewhere in Spokane.
