Counties press committee for state grants and low-interest loans to address aging, overcrowded jails

Lawmakers heard extensive testimony about aging, overcrowded county jails and two bills intended to provide state financing: House Bill 1197 would create a jail improvement grant program with a $50 million appropriation from the Strategic Investment and Improvement Fund (SIF); House Bill 1213 would create a low-interest loan program through the Bank of North Dakota with a proposed $200 million appropriation to finance jail improvements and expansions.

Sponsor overview and program design Representative Kathy Fralick introduced HB1197 as a competitive grant program administered by a multi-stakeholder committee that would include House and Senate members, the Association of Counties, the Sheriffs Association, the Chiefs of Police Association, and one Department of Corrections representative. The bill would direct a continuing appropriation into a jail improvement fund, require at least a 25% local match for awarded projects, and reserve at least 25% of funds for counties with populations under 15,000. The bill’s stated appropriation was $50,000,000 from SIF.

Representative Fralick presented HB1213 as a companion loan vehicle. The loan bill would allow loan awards up to $40,000,000 per approved recipient, with repayment terms up to 30 years at interest rates not to exceed 2%. The bill’s draft requested $200,000,000 from the Strategic Investment and Improvement Fund. Both bills vest distribution criteria and prioritization in the proposed facilities-improvement committee.

County and regional testimony: facility failures, safety risks and regional approaches Multiple county officials and jail administrators described failing infrastructure and acute bed shortages. Jason Pierce, a Devil’s Lake city commissioner and vice chair of the Lake Region Law Enforcement Center board, said Devil’s Lake’s county jail is 51 years old, has 105 beds and is “one broken water pipe away from having to close the facility altogether.” Pierce documented operational safety problems (encased plumbing that requires floor removal to repair, cramped intake areas, outdated maximum‑security cells, and a kitchen that requires contracted meals at substantial annual cost).

Walsh County officials (Sheriff Ron Jurgens and Commission Chair Christie Brittnell) described a 16‑bed facility the Department of Corrections had recently reduced from 23 to 16 beds and presented a proposal for a new 48‑bed jail with estimated cost of roughly $42 million. Sheriff Jurgens said county voters would be asked to approve a two-part funding question (a mill levy increase plus a 0.75% sales tax) to cover local shares if state help is not available.

Richland County jail administrator Steve Gerdabig described a 32‑bed facility serving a wide region and said his county is pursuing a 200‑bed replacement; he told the committee that recurring plumbing failures and other maintenance costs are a constant operational burden and that county funding alone would not span the project cost.

Statewide picture and policy questions Danelle Presky of the North Dakota Association of Counties told the committee the state faces a systemwide shortage of jail capacity and estimated that five county/regional projects (Lake Region, Walsh, Grand Forks, Cass and Richland) would cost more than $250 million to complete and would add roughly 434 new beds. Presky urged lawmakers to consider the limits of local tax capacity, particularly in counties without significant sales-tax revenue. She also warned that any future limits on counties’ ability to raise property taxes could make it difficult to finance jails locally.

Committee members asked about alternatives — local bonding, regionalization, leasing space to the state, and whether state investment could be conditioned on counties contracting to house state sentenced inmates. Witnesses said some counties have explored regional solutions but that local taxpayers are reluctant to finance a jail outside their home county; others said that contracting with nearby larger facilities is increasingly difficult because those facilities are full. Several witnesses referenced Elevatus (an out-of-state architecture/engineering firm) which prepared design options and cost estimates.

What was not decided Committee members did not vote on either bill during the hearing. Several asked for more detail on cost estimates, potential loan structures, whether SIF funds are available, and how program awards would be prioritized. The testimony indicated a high level of immediate need, but also wide variation in project size, scope and local financing capacity.

Why it matters Witnesses said county jails serve an essential public-safety function and are currently absorbing overflow from an overcapacity state prison system. Counties argued state assistance is needed both to avoid repeated emergency transports and to maintain safe conditions for staff and inmates. The bills aim to create two different tools — grants for smaller counties or critical repairs and low-interest loans for larger projects — to help counties modernize and expand jail capacity.