Although the word “contingent” looms large over the proposed Blair County Prison-replacement project, action on May 12 by the county prison board has moved the project a significant step closer to groundbreaking.

The word “contingent” is relevant because the land for the new prison, although selected, has yet to be purchased.

If the purchase were to “disintegrate,” it would be a setback guaranteeing anyone’s guess as to what would happen next — and when.

However, judging from information released by the county, it seems that the purchase is on track for completion.

That’s great because it would be deeply troubling, all considered, if the purchase were stymied for whatever reason.

One major reason is that the location selected is in close-enough proximity to the courthouse to allow for efficient movement of inmates to and from necessary court proceedings.

The location currently designated for the new lockup is in Blair Township behind the former Inlow’s Drive-In along Dunnings Highway. As a front-page article in the Mirror’s May 13 edition reported, it will provide space not only for the main incarceration aspect of the prison but also for a large area for medical care and mental health services.

Additionally, the new prison has been designed to provide a library, meeting space and designated areas for religious practices. It also will contain space for needs related to work-release participants, visitations, attorney-client meetings and employee training.

As designed, the new prison will be a facility meeting the needs of the 21st century — far better than the current antiquated prison that has caused so much consternation.

Beyond that, it will correct the wrongs of previous county governments that preferred to “kick the can down the road” for some future board of commissioners to resolve, while foolishly expressing pride in their “fiscal responsibility” — delay that added many millions of dollars to the new prison’s price tag that taxpayers will have to endure now because of those officials’ shortsightedness, or perhaps fear of tackling a project so big.

The current board of commissioners should not be criticized for acting now. A delay by them merely would have added millions more dollars to a project whose inevitability could not be denied.

Despite being a prison, the new facility, if built as now proposed, will enhance the landscape surrounding its area. Some individuals, having seen the artist renderings from the architectural/engineering firm handling the design, have remarked that the new prison will have the appearance of a school.

Even if the appearance is such, that is no reason to criticize what is proposed. In fact, a prison should not be just a place to warehouse individuals; it should be a place, as much as possible, capable of guiding inmates away from a life of crime once their terms behind bars are completed.

The new prison should provide a lesson to inmates about the benefit of avoiding criminal activity, going forward, and help them grasp the importance of them being assets to their communities, not liabilities.

A new prison will be quite an accomplishment for Blair County and demonstrate what can be achieved through commitment, determination and a willingness to complete the project correctly, not in a way that will cause the new prison to become an issue not many years from now.

“Contingent” should be replaced with a firm “Go” not too long from now.