Board approves $260,000 contract for alternative jail beds and intensive pretrial supervision

Black Hawk County supervisors on June 3 approved a one-year, $260,000 contract with DCS to fund alternative jail beds and intensive pretrial supervision, intended to limit daytime jail populations and prioritize community supervision for higher‑risk defendants.

The measure, approved by roll call, directs the chair to sign the contract effective July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026. The agreement was described during the meeting as a continuation of programs that have operated in various forms for decades.

Tyler Gramberg, executive officer with the Department of Corrections, First District, said the intensive pretrial program “helps serve high risk clients who might otherwise be placed in jail.” He told supervisors the alternative residential beds let people “continue working, be engaged in pro social treatment and other activities, caring for their families, limiting the cost to them and to the jail.”

Board members and county staff asked for details about capacity and cost. Meeting testimony said the contract amount has a $0 increase from the previous year and was intended to be paid from the county general fund under the county’s basic $3.50 levy. Gramberg said the contract “spells out a $53 per day amount if they were to serve that time over at the facility,” while county officials noted clients may be charged $70 per day and that client payments are deducted before the county is billed.

Officials and contractors described cost savings compared with keeping those people in jail. One presenter said that, if served in the jail, the same days would cost the county “over a million dollars” in aggregate for the cohort discussed, and that scheduling and rent recovery affect the actual county cost. County staff also said bed availability fluctuates: the men’s facility was described as having about 162 beds and the women’s center about 45 beds in total, with fewer dedicated to the residential alternative program at any given time.

Supervisors pressed program staff on eligibility and how clients are screened for intensive pretrial, including criminal history, stabilization (housing and employment) and other risk factors. Ron Wymore, a probation and parole officer, and Bob Ames, division manager with First District, joined Gramberg in describing intake, scheduling and coordination with local courts.

The board approved the resolution by roll call (Karen — yes; Meglin — yes; Brianne — yes; Kurtenbach — yes; Paul — yes). The resolution directs the chair to sign and funds the contract from the county general fund.

Implementation details cited at the meeting include: the contract period (07/01/2025–06/30/2026), the $260,000 annual maximum, the $53/day residential rate in the contract, and staff estimates of bed counts and waiting lists. Supervisors said the arrangement reduces out‑of‑county housing and helps keep people working and stabilized, but noted usage levels depend on court orders and participants’ ability to pay incidental residential fees.

The contract approval ends with the board’s instruction to sign; no additional program changes or new oversight requirements were adopted during the meeting.