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Committee authorizes application for state grant to replace aging Hall of Justice jails amid debate
Summary
The Budget & Finance Committee authorized applying for up to $80 million in state SB 1022 financing to replace County Jails 3 and 4, proposing a modern 640‑bed direct-supervision facility. Supporters cited safety, seismic risks and program space; opponents and many public commenters urged alternatives to incarceration and warned of a "build it and they will fill it" effect.
The committee voted on Oct. 9 to authorize the city to apply for up to $80 million in competitive state financing (SB 1022) to replace the top two floors of the Hall of Justice—County Jails 3 and 4—after a lengthy presentation and public comment session.
Brian Strong, project lead, and staff described repeated structural assessments that conclude the Hall of Justice’s upper floors pose life-safety risks in a major seismic event and chronic operational deficiencies (cramped cells, limited programming space and outdated linear design). They said a replacement project is in the capital plan and estimated the current project cost at roughly $290 million, with construction planning to begin in 2017…
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