Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Jail Capacity topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
County officials outline cost and timeline to open remaining Oxbow jail pod; ongoing operating cost estimated at $6.4 million
Summary
Sheriff and jail officials described steps and estimated costs to open the third pod at Oxbow (184 beds): one‑time facility upgrades (~$250,000) plus staff and operating costs (estimate $6.395 million annually), and noted additional deferred maintenance would require future funding.
Salt Lake County public safety officials told the council on Feb. 11 that opening the third pod at the county’s Oxbow jail facility would require both one‑time upgrades and ongoing operating funds. The county opened two of three pods at Oxbow in recent years; the final pod remained closed because of staffing and funding constraints.
Chief Matt Dumont and the sheriff’s office outlined a plan that would require about $250,000 in one‑time upgrades (fire‑alarm modernization, mattresses and equipment) and the hiring of roughly 33 correctional staff to operate the additional pod. Officials estimated ongoing non‑staff operating costs (meals, medical contracts, pharmacy, utilities and maintenance) and staff would amount to $6,395,000 annually.
“We estimate staffing and ongoing operating costs at about $6.4 million total per year, plus deferred maintenance on the 34‑year‑old facility,” Chief Dumont said. Officials said deferred maintenance totals about $40 million and would require additional capital planning if Oxbow’s long‑term use expands.
Council members pressed for clarification on the components of the estimate (capital versus staffing), how quickly the pod could be opened (planning estimate ~ three months for the one‑time upgrades), and whether opening would meaningfully reduce the jail’s use of overcrowd release. Sheriff and jail staff said opening would increase bed capacity immediately but stressed the county’s longer‑term needs—including competency restoration and mental‑health bed shortages—would also require sustained funding and partnerships.
Officials noted the county currently uses an “overcrowd release” (OCR) process that prioritizes releasing lower‑level, non‑violent charges when jail capacity is reached; they said OCR decisions consider pending charges, public safety concerns and ongoing investigations. Jail officials said average lengths of stay have increased since 2019 (from about 100 days to 155 days as of the Feb. 11 briefing), intensifying capacity pressures.
No final funding decision was made at the Feb. 11 meeting. Council members tied the discussion to a separate agenda item: first reading of a proposed 0.2% local option sales tax that the council said could create a multi‑million dollar county revenue stream that would address operating shortfalls for facilities and competency restoration needs if ultimately approved.
