The two medical marijuana dispensaries licensed to operate in Texarkana, Arkansas, are up and running.
It's been quite a long time coming and we are sure those who believe marijuana helps with certain medical conditions were glad to see the day. We expect the dispensaries to draw customers from around the region as well as from the city.
We wonder just how many will be taking advantage of these new legal sources of medical marijuana.
Have you or a member of your family obtained a card authorizing you to buy medical marijuana? Do you plan to get one and use the dispensaries?
Send your response (50 words maximum) to [email protected] by Wednesday, Jan. 29. You can also mail your response to the Texarkana Gazette Friday Poll, at P.O. Box 621, Texarkana, TX 75504 or drop it off at our office, 101 E. Broad St., Texarkana, Ark. Be sure to include your name, address and phone number. We will print as many responses as we can in next Friday's paper.
Last Week: Jail Management?
Last week's question was about Bowie County renewing its jail contract with LaSalle Corrections. Should the county have agreed to continue with LaSalle Corrections? Or should the county have kept looking for a new operator or even gone back to managing the jail itself?
EDITOR'S NOTE: Bowie County jail operations, run by LaSalle Corrections, are currently in compliance with the Texas State Commission on Jail Standards. However, the state agency placed Bowie County on its list of noncompliant jails twice in 2019 for not conducting required cell checks, according to records. Last year's noncompliance reports, one in April and one in August, cited a lack required cell checks following the deaths of two different inmates at different times. Two additional inmate deaths occurred in the jail in 2015 and 2016, respectively. LaSalle has operated the Bowie County jail since 2013.
Yes, the county should continue with LaSalle because they are the only ones brave enough to tackle this very hard job. Sheriff Prince agrees and I feel Judge Carlow supported them. It is a tough job for the employees and I feel they do a wonderful job. We tend to forget what the inmates did to get in there and they often attack the guards. - RWB, Texarkana, Texas
Bowie County continues to renew LaSalle Corrections contracts when they fail to pass state standards They have had numerous deaths under their watch This is NOT OK . They should be held accountable and be fired and a new company hired. - R.J., New Boston, Texas
LaSalle Corrections contract should not have been renewed. These private correction centers have become cash cows for the owners. They don't care about reforming prisoners, because the more people detained the more money in their pockets. If anyone can remember Guantanamo Bay in Cuba ran by the USA, but owned by Halliburton /VP Cheney received a multimillion dollar contracts from the Department of Defense, which has been going on for years. The state needs to take over the prisons and stop wasting taxpayer money on these private prison contracts. - R.K., Texarkana, Texas
It's a mistake to use a private for-profit corporation to incarcerate citizens, and to continue to use a corporation that has a record of deaths in custody defies common sense. We are both capable and able to run our own jail efficiently without risk to the taxpayer or the inmate. - W.T., New Boston, Texas
From www.facebook.com/texarkanagazette
No. Why would you allow anyone to continue taking state monies but not doing the job contracted for. If they were your children in that jail and dying because of their lack of care, would you want them to stay?
I think the statement of work needs to be re-evaluated. There is/are reason(s) there was only one bidder, especially since this is such a booming industry. Just because there's one offer doesn't mean you award, ESPECIALLY with their past performance. They should actually be disqualified solely for their past performance.
The county needs to take the jail back No one takes care of "Your Personal Property" like you do yourself.
I get they're creating revenue but there are other ways. This is insane.
They should have kept looking or returned to managing it themselves. This company evidently doesn't value the lives of people in the jail. Not good enough!
Better question: How many Bowie County residents are willing to raise their taxes to lure other companies in to manage the jail? If you're willing to pay more (maybe much more) then pony up, they'll come.
No they should not have voted on LaSalle. If someone is doing a bad job you do not renew them and give them a raise. That is rewarding bad behavior. I am glad voting time is coming. They will not get my vote this time they do not care what their community wants just what they want. They could have found a way to have the county run the jail after all it is their responsibility
Kept looking!
Managing it ourselves is better than La Salle. They aren't in compliance and there have been several inmate deaths. Why would we continue to allow them to manage it?
It's horrible and I can't imagine why they would keep if.
The county needs to run it themselves. Privatized jails are not a good thing. And with all that has happened they need to step up and protect our citizens!!
It's about money not safety.
Doesn't matter what company runs it. They are all still going to hire the same "application quality" employees. Only thing a company can do now is hire someone to go to all their facilities and watch surveillance videos to make sure people doing their jobs and if not FIRE THEM.
Go back to managing yourself
They should've kept looking. How many more people are gonna have to die before they find someone else to take over. This is ridiculous! It really angers me!
Self operated! And LaSalle should never be allowed to bid here again. Ever
As long as state law and Texas commission on jail standards allows the sheriff to control the acceptance of contract inmates, the current sheriff will not perform the administration of the jail. Yes, the jail could be operated much more efficiently locally, at less cost, and with a greater return to the county for housing contract inmates without having to pay an outside company for the inmates care. Hopefully, the next Bowie County sheriff will accept that responsibility.
Why is an outside management company needed? Unacceptable with so many deaths!
Self staffing, only way to go.
Candidates for sheriff what say you? I will vote for the one who decides to tackle this jail fiasco for the citizens of Bowie County. LaSalle was and is unacceptable.
LaSalle should've been replaced long ago.
Managing themselves.
The county ran it pretty well when I was there.
Jails shouldn't be privately run. I feel it is not cost effective. Just a guess. And I'm also guessing there would be more accountability for inmate deaths?
Kick em out wow that jail is out of control
Its all about the almighty dollar. It cant be cheaper to pay an outside company to run it so someones using your taxpayer dollars for kickbacks. And its costing lives.
"There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe nor politic nor popular, but he must take it because his conscience tells him it is right," MLK. "The ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty by the bad people but the silence over that by the good people," MLK.
Why keep them when so much is in non-compliance, and so many questionable deaths.
It's a "jail."
No other companies bid because they don't want no part of that mess that has gotten out of hand! Cant blame them.. Even though its sad that the jail will continue being just what it is now a careless dump!
I bet it is a big liability but all y'all out there complaining can put a bid in and try y'alls luck at it.
After all those people have died in there? K, got it.
Go back to managing itself
Kept looking. But they work for the county. Is there no way to make them stay in compliance? Make them provide some kind of medical? Who works for who?
LaSalle shouldn't be allowed to run a jail here or anywhere else for that matter.