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Jefferson County officials weigh converting old jail into local juvenile facility, seek firm cost estimates
Summary
County leaders discussed converting the county’s unused jail into a juvenile detention and treatment facility, aiming to open initially with 8 male and 8 female beds and targeting January 2027; officials requested additional contractor bids, operational cost data and potential grant funding before a budget vote in February.
Jefferson County officials and staff discussed plans to repurpose the county’s unused jail into a local juvenile facility, focusing on a timeline, startup costs and the facility’s design and capacity.
County staff presented a project plan circulated in advance and said the team’s tentative target for opening the facility is January 2027. "Their hope would be January 2027," Speaker 4 said. Attendees agreed to seek a second contractor estimate and to return with a firm dollar figure at least two weeks before the February meeting so the board can consider a budget vote.
The initial operating plan discussed would open with "8 males, 8 females" in separate wings, with the option to expand over time: participants said the facility could scale toward roughly 40 beds in later phases but that state guidance recommends starting small. Speaker 5 summarized the phasing approach and Speaker 7 told the group the state advised: "start off small ... you got good bones there." The…
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