Proposed Whitewater Jail Pits City Leaders Against County

A public discussion about a huge new jail at the scenic entrance to the Coachella Valley attracted a crowd that was almost universally against the proposal, which was nonetheless defended by a Riverside County supervisor.

“There is every reason in the world to move as expediently as possible,” said Supervisor John Benoit.

“We are under extreme pressure having to hold more prisoners locally,” he said.

The county operates four other jails, which are at or beyond their legal capacity. The new jail could provide about 2,000 new jobs.

Civic leaders in Palm Springs have publicly worried that a $300 million jail, which would visible from Interstate 10 and the Palm Springs cutoff, could hurt tourism in the resort town.

The planned county-run lockup would be built in stages, starting out with room for about 1,800 inmates and eventually as many as 7,200. The site at Rushmore and Tamarack Road is about 200 acres.

Plans for the “hub jail” have worried Coachella Valley hoteliers and merchants who fear it could hurt business. The Riverside County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday reaffirmed its commitment to the jail.

The Palm Springs Desert Resort Communities Convention & Visitors Authority has authorized a study about the planned jail and is expected to issue a report within the next three to four months.

Saturday’s forum at the Camelot Theatres was sponsored by the Palm Springs Neighborhood Involvement Committee and included a presentation by members of the visitors authority, as well as comments from Benoit and Palm Springs Mayor Steve Pougnet.