A consulting firm has come up with a new figure for what it would cost to build a jail in Canyon County that addresses overcrowding and other problems at the current facility.
This week, consultant DLR Group presented the findings of its $250,000 study to the Canyon County Commissioners.
They say the current jail, which has 477 beds, should have at least 779 to accommodate present inmate populations. In order to meet the needs of the county’s projected growth over the next two decades, DLR recommends Canyon County have a jail with 1,055 beds. The firm estimates it would cost $198 million to build a new facility that size.
According to the Statesman, raising funds for a jail is historically unpopular. Canyon County voters have turned down three previous bond measures to get money for a project.
Along with overcrowding, the Canyon County Jail faces another problem: escapes. Since December of 2015, inmates at the jail’s minimum security tent facility have escaped nine times. The breakouts have continued to happen despite measures to make the tent area more secure.
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