Spokane County officials discuss jail capacity, costly repairs at Geiger and options to expand downtown

Spokane County detention officials told commissioners on March 17 that downtown jail population is near recent peaks, the average stay has risen to about 20 days, and aging outlying housing at Geiger would need millions in repairs to remain usable.

The presentation, led by Mike Sparber (detention services presenter), laid out current population counts, classification constraints for moving people to Geiger, and a range of potential capital and operational options — including renovating the annex, adding bunks, reopening wings at Geiger and pursuing a longer-term new jail. Sparberand county staff urged the board to direct further engineering study and continued dialogue with regional partners before committing large sums.

Why it matters: the county is operating two facilities (downtown and Geiger) and faces duplication of services and staffing pressure. Officials said the Geiger site, built in 1952 as an army barracks, is functionally obsolete and would require major work — including an environmental retrofit, boilers and kitchen reconstruction — to be safe and usable for more than a short term. Commissioners and the sheriff raised questions about who would pay, whether private partners could help and how many additional staff would be required to open more capacity.

Sparber said the county’s average length of stay “is 20 days,” up from a more typical…