SAVANNAH, Mo. - A seven-member review committee visited the Andrew County Jail on Monday and told the county commissioners to advertise for land.

"I still have some reservations about the financial figures used, but the county needs to do something about getting a new jail," said Dick Townsend, a former Andrew County commissioner.

Committee members spent 50 minutes touring the 104-year-old jail Monday.

"This place doesn't look safe to me," said Ken Gabriel, a committee member and retired former commander of the 139th Airlift Wing.

Mr. Gabriel noted the low ceilings and tight areas where inmates are housed and deputies have to enter.

An inability to be able to view prisoners was another problem a committee member noted.

"There's no way they can see the inmates all the time," said Annette Weeks.

Larry Goldberg, the president of Goldberg, Sullivan & McCrerey, discussed how the county will pay for a new jail. The architectural firm specializes in county jails.

The new jail would allow visual control over as many prisoners as possible, Mr. Goldberg said. Because jails routinely receive different classes of prisoners, a county needs enough beds so that on any given night there are empty beds, he said. To pay for the jail, allow for future growth and have space for different classes of prisoners, Andrew County needs a jail with 50 to 60 beds, Mr. Goldberg said.

Sheriff Bryan Atkins will have the responsibility to contract with other counties to house 28 prisoners in the new jail.

That shouldn't be a problem since several Northwest Missouri counties routinely need space to house prisoners, Mr. Goldberg said.

Based on a 20-year mortgage and a total cost of $5.5 million, the county would pay approximately $422,000 annually. The county already budgets $519,000 for jail operations and spends another $185,000 boarding prisoners in other counties.

To build a new Andrew County Jail requires a minimum of two acres that isn't in the immediate proximity of existing schools, churches, day care centers and residential areas. The land also has to be in or contiguous to Savannah and have a primary road access.

Until the county has land acquisition options or the results of the independent audit, there won't be a need to have another meeting, said Greg Wall, Andrew County Eastern District commissioner.

The County Commission would have the final say on whether to go forward with a new jail.

Marshall White can be reached at marshall@npgco.com.