I did a lot of research prior to sending out letters to every Sheriff’s office in the Midwest to offer our charter services. I did not like what I saw. Just a quick google search of prisoner transport lawsuits quickly brought to light a very serious situation that exposes departments and the taxpayers they serve to great peril.

Civil rights violations, sexual assaults, eluding capture, and beyond inhumane conditions were just the beginning of what my research turned up. Of the private prisoner transport companies I investigated, I could not find one that was not facing a state or federal lawsuit. These types of lawsuits also include the county as a named party.

It was this research that led me to do a lot of reflection and brought me to a solution to this problem. Our company, Hangar9, can swiftly transport customer from one location to another. We leave from private air terminals and have little interaction with the public. Inmates are not on the plane for extended periods of time and most security concerns are alleviated as it is pretty difficult to escape from 20,000ft.

The largest objection we have received from the dozens of departments who have reached out to us, has been the cost of using our private plane versus the approximately $2 per mile of ground transportation. As a small business owner I understand this more than most. When you effectively manage the distance traveled, you lessen your contact time with the transported individuals and thus decrease departmental liability. My question is how will your budget be effected by a civil judgment in the hundreds of thousands or millions? What is the cost to your department, if you have to search for an inmate who escaped at a rest stop? These questions are very pertinent, when you look at the overwhelming number of public lawsuits and news stories are just a google search away.

I also look at the dignity of the inmate being transported. These people are already being punished and have had most of their rights taken away. With my years in law enforcement, I have always looked at officers as having to wear many hats. There are times that you are a counselor, times when you must be authoritative, and times you have to be a caretaker or custodian. When these inmates are in custody you are the custodian and have a duty to make sure that they are treated in a humane manor.