Consultants present plan for new Cochise County jail, recommend 468-bed facility and site analysis

Consultants presented a final draft jail planning study to the Cochise County Jail District board on Tuesday, May 20, recommending a 468-bed replacement facility and providing a six-site comparison for Cochise County.

The study, summarized by consultant Karen Shemachin, lays out a 204,760 gross-square-foot program for a 468-bed jail with a support core sized to serve up to 600 inmates, and recommends building initially closer to 400 beds while preserving future expansion options. "The recommendation ... is a 468 bed jail," Shemachin said, and the program includes specialized housing, a 48‑bed medical/mental health unit and separate units for females and youthful offenders.

Why it matters: The consultants said length of stay, not admissions, is driving the county jail population upward and that operational changes could reduce the number of beds the county ultimately needs. The board heard both design concepts and practical tradeoffs — including utility and access costs for remote sites, transportation impacts for staff and inmates, and financing options — to inform a future site selection and budgeting decision.

Key findings and numbers

- Population and jail trends: Cochise County population was described in the study as about 125,000, with projections for growth through 2040. The consultant reported average daily population (ADP) had historically been about 250–300, rose to roughly 315 in 2022 and about 335 in 2023, and that admissions overall are down from earlier years. The consultant emphasized that rising average length of stay (from about 16 days to over 20 days) is the main driver of the ADP increase.

- Snapshot demographics and conditions: The consultant reported a one-day snapshot where 85% of…