Canyon County Commissioners are trying to figure out a way to get a new jail. The current facility has seen numerous escapes over the last year and half and is overcrowded. A study by a consulting firm offered a costly solution.
The study by DLR Group says a 1,044 bed jail would be optimal and cost $198 million.
The Idaho Press Tribune reports commissioners have never seriously entertained the idea of going to voters with the nearly $200 million ask. Past attempts to convince voters to foot the bill have proven unsuccessful. In 2006, a nearly $60 million jail was recommended, but funding for it failed three times at the ballot box.
During the commissioner's December 21 meeting, the officials thought some aspects of a new jail could be retooled to lower the cost.
Commissioners are planning a nonbinding resolution in January that would establish the county's vision for going forward with a new jail.
The current Canyon County facility has 477 beds with about a quarter of those in a minimum security tent structure.
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