Board authorizes jail remodel plan, temporarily repurpose juvenile hall during construction

Del Norte County supervisors voted unanimously to advance a single‑phase rehabilitation of the county jail, authorize temporary use of the County Juvenile Hall Youth Opportunity Center (YOC) for secure operations during construction, and direct county administration to work with probation to find alternate locations for programs displaced by the YOC’s temporary use.

The authorization follows a presentation by county staff and consultants on design options, costs and relocation alternatives for the jail, an aging facility that received a $3.1 million federal appropriation. The board was told the most economical construction approach is a single‑phase remodel estimated at about $10 million; available federal and state funding totals roughly $5 million, leaving an estimated funding gap the county would cover with Measure R and capital improvement funds pending final budget approval.

Why it matters: County officials described the project as necessary to address structural and operational problems at a jail built in the 1960s and substantially expanded in the 1990s. Presenters said the remodel would improve sight lines, staff workstations, intake processing and dormitory conditions, and would allow the county to provide safer, more modern care and programming for persons in custody.

County presentations and options Randy Hooper, Assistant County Administrative Officer, summarized the project’s funding history and scope and said design work has progressed with NMR Architects. “This remodel project is part of a strategic investment in long term public safety, facility resilience, and responsible stewardship of infrastructure,” Hooper said.

Consultants identified three broad alternatives: build a new jail (estimated around $40 million), remodel in multiple phases while the jail remains in operation (estimated roughly $20 million), or a single‑phase remodel with temporary relocation of inmates (estimated about $10 million). Architects and the sheriff’s office said the single‑phase approach is lowest cost and shortens construction time but requires relocating inmates for the work period.

Relocation alternatives and population management Presenters reviewed options for relocating inmates while construction proceeds. The most expensive option would be contracting beds with state or out‑of‑county facilities — a scenario with an estimated one‑year cost of about $8.5 million if male inmates were sent to Pelican Bay and females to Humboldt County. A lower‑cost alternative is to repurpose the county’s existing juvenile hall as a temporary adult holding site, with estimated upgrades and displacement costs in the range of $1.1 million to $2.1 million. Presenters warned that converting juvenile space would reduce available juvenile programming space and require relocation of youth services.

Deputy Captain Kyle Stevens and other presenters described measures to reduce local population pressure, including expanding home detention, ankle monitoring and other alternatives, and securing overflow agreements with neighboring jurisdictions. “The catch with this proposal is relocating inmates from the jail to another location,” said Devin Carter of NMR, describing the tradeoffs between cost, continuity of staff and operational disruption.

Staffing, program and facility concerns Chief probation staff and union representatives urged that probation staff not be treated as temporary or forced into unstable assignments. The county’s chief probation officer told the board the department needs stable accommodations for staff and asked the board to consider long‑term solutions rather than repeated, short‑term moves. Norma Williams, chapter president of the local SEIU, echoed concerns about staff notices and contract obligations, reminding the board that the union contract requires advance notice if employees are relocated.

Funding and board direction Presenters said available funds include the $3.1 million federal appropriation, roughly $2 million in AB 109 and PATH funds targeted to justice‑ and homelessness‑related facilities, and potential Measure R and capital improvement funds. The estimated project total on the most economical single‑phase plan is $10 million, leaving an approximate $5 million shortfall staff proposed to address in the upcoming budget process.

Supervisor Starkey moved a composite motion asking staff to include appropriation of designated capital improvement funds and unallocated Measure R revenues in the fiscal‑year budget to address any remaining project gap; to authorize the sheriff to temporarily use the Juvenile Hall YOC during the remodel; and to direct administration to work with probation to identify and prepare temporary accommodations for YOC programs displaced by that repurposing. The board voted 5–0 to approve the motion.

What’s next: Staff will complete design work, refine the relocation plan and present funding language in the final budget. The board directed administration to continue coordinating with the sheriff’s office and probation and to return with details on the timeline, costs and staff impacts.

Ending note: Board members and presenters repeatedly emphasized that the relocation solution will require multiple approaches — juvenile hall conversion, temporary contracts with other jurisdictions and expanded community alternatives — and that further specifics will be developed as design and budgeting continue.