Lane County Uses Timber Cash to Reopen Jail Beds

EUGENE, Ore. -- Lane County commissioners voted this week to use federal timber payments to reopen 84 beds at the county jail.

The commissioners cited encouraging revenue signs and strong public demand for keeping violent offenders lockup up.

The action came just weeks after U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden and Congressman Peter DeFazio expressed concern that they won't be able to win renewal of money for rural counties hurt by national forest logging cutbacks unless Lane County spends some of its share to reopen the jail beds.

The pair said they told colleagues in Washington D.C. that Oregon faced dire consequences if the payments didn't continue, and it wouldn't look good if counties were freeing prisoners while keeping money in reserve.