Recently we reported that LaSalle Corrections has opted not to renew their contract to run the Bi-State Justice Building Jail and the Bowie County Correctional Center.
We must say that's welcome news.
We have long been skeptical of privately run jails and prisons. A private business must focus on the bottom line. That's fine in most cases, but it's not always the right approach when it comes to proper management of a correctional facility and inmate care.
LaSalle has a long history of problems — even tragedies — during its time running the jail. We won't go into them all here. You've read about them over the years in this newspaper and, if you are like us, hope not to have to see such things in the future.
Starting Feb. 13, the lockups will once again be operated by the Bowie County Sheriff's Office, as they were before being farmed out to the commercial jail company LaSalle.
In our view, that's a positive move and one we have called for on this page several times in the past.
Jail management by the proper law enforcement agency should mean mean clear procedures and accountability — things too often missing with a profit-centered private corrections companies.