Spokane County officials warn jail capacity could be strained by 2028 as dashboard shows current relief

Ken Moore, a project manager for Spokane County, told the SRLJC that the county’s detention-services dashboard shows current population levels below maximum capacity but flagged trends that could strain operations within a few years.

“We have a max capacity of 915,” Moore said, referring to combined capacity at the downtown jail and the Geiger facility. He and jail leadership told the council the total population on the day of the briefing was 770, below last month’s average of 819 and last May’s average of 858, but rising trends in felony arrests and longer stays remained a concern.

The dashboard and presenters laid out why: operational peaks, a rising share of violent offenders and an average custody length of stay for people currently in custody of 113 days. By contrast, Moore said the average length of stay for those released is about 20 days, a number lowered by short book-and-release cases. The jail reported 25 “red light” incidents in the previous 30 days — periods when booking doors were closed — totaling about 57 hours.

Why it matters: the county has relied on the Geiger facility as a relief valve for downtown capacity. Moore said Geiger needs extensive capital investment and that county work done years earlier estimated an…