COUNTY'S JAIL INVESTMENT MAKES LOT OF SENSE

After having spent more than $250,000 a year to house Cape Girardeau County jail prisoners in other counties, Cape County officials can be pleased the new county jail is open.

Officials estimate the jail will generate annual income of more than $665,000 from keeping federal and other counties' prisoners. Jail bond payments will be $450,000 and increased salary and utilities costs at the jail are estimated at $200,000. Plus, the county won't have to pay other counties to house its overflow of prisoners and will save the time and expense of having to shuffle prisoners between other jails and Jackson.

It all amounts to letting someone else pay for Cape County's new jail, and that makes pretty good business sense.