Mostly aimed at Blair County governments of the past, well-deserved criticism about procrastination over the issue of a new county prison has been meted out in this space.

The need for a new incarceration facility has been known for decades by government leaders as well as many other people of this county. The problem has been that, rather than tackling new construction when a new facility could have been built for a small fraction of the current cost, county leaders chose instead to kick the proverbial can down the road and hope some future commissioners board would “pick it up.”

That’s now happening — by a board of commissioners that has remained undeterred by some serious setbacks, particularly about where to build the new lockup. Even now, when environmental studies are underway to determine the feasibility of a proposed site, the commissioners have exhibited patience in awaiting the results of that information-gathering as well as good judgment in delaying actual purchase of the land in question until potential risks are resolved in the county’s best interests.

Meanwhile, only because of the training, skills and overall competence of the people who, over the decades, have been charged with the actual operation of the prison has it avoided problems that could have become commonplace.

The problems that have been witnessed in recent years are the direct product of leaders who preferred to voice accolades for fiscal responsibility that really wasn’t in the long run, as well as by not giving the prison issue the general priority it deserved on a continuing basis, considering the importance such a project entailed and continues to entail.

But the mistakes of the past should not be dwelled upon; the main emphasis now and going forward needs to be on capitalizing on new opportunities that might present themselves. For example, it was uplifting to see how the current commissioners rebounded from the failed effort to build the new prison on acreage of Alto-Reste Park slated for use as future burial sites.

Plenty of future study and brainstorming needs to center on the eventual transition to the new prison and sealing up temporary arrangements with other counties to house Blair prisoners, if that were to become necessary prior to, at the time of, or even if construction were virtually completed but occupancy was not ready to get underway.

Then there’s the possible issue of unanticipated developments and knowing the sources available to help overcome them quickly and painlessly.

From the standpoint of county taxpayers, obtaining relevant information about what is happening regarding the new prison is important, and such information has been emerging in recent days, as evidenced by the disclosure about the site being considered.

Even at this early date it seems reasonable to say that the site now proposed makes sense from a number of vantage points.

There will be good roadway access for receiving prisoners and transporting prisoners to court proceedings in Hollidaysburg and wherever else might be necessary. Similarly, there will be easy access for receiving items needed for prisoner meals, as well as other supplies necessary for the prison’s operation.

There will be adequate parking spaces and means for adequate security measures related to prisoner visitors.

“Blair awaits prison reports” was the headline of an article in the Mirror’s April 17 edition dealing with the pending environmental studies reports.

If those studies deliver “thumbs-up,” the project should be shifted into high gear for its duration, procrastination-free.