Clark County officials outline $85–$100 million plan for new jail, seek half‑percent sales tax levy

Clark County Administrator Jenny Hutchinson and Sheriff Clark briefed the Springfield City Commission in a pre‑meeting work session on the county’s assessment of the Parkland jail and a proposed plan to build a new public safety facility.

Hutchinson said the downtown jail, built in the late 1970s and opened around 1980, was designed to hold roughly 160–167 inmates but is regularly housing more than 200. A consultant study by DLZ recommends a new facility sized to house about 450 people to meet needs for the next 30 years. Hutchinson said immediate repairs to the present building — including a new roof, new locks and other upkeep — would cost “$3 million to $5 million,” and that renovating the existing structure would not resolve the overcrowding or the design limitations that she and the sheriff described.

The study the county has updated since 2017 also recommends a single‑story, pod‑style design with centralized sight lines for officer safety. Hutchinson said the county has identified a property south of Interstate 70 on State Route 72 that is about 30 acres, has been annexed into the city and would allow future expansion.

Sheriff Clark said the jail’s overcrowding creates safety and health problems for inmates and staff. “We are putting 204 individuals…