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DOC warns prison population will rise and outlines capacity options as jail backlog remains elevated
Summary
Department officials presented DCJ projections showing rising prison population and limited unfunded bed capacity; DOC said short‑term options include converting single cells to double bunking and longer‑term options include leasing or building new facilities; jail backlog stood at 571 people on the day of the hearing.
Department of Corrections officials told the Joint Budget Committee that state projections indicate the prison population will climb over the next several years and that available in‑state bed capacity will shrink if no policy changes occur.
"As you can see, from FY27 to '28 it's a rise of almost 400 inmates," Mitch Carsons told the panel, describing DCJ projections. Carsons said current permanent bed capacity is roughly 16,000 and that unfunded beds that could be opened in FY26 are about 1,500–1,600; by subsequent years the number of immediately openable beds declines and the department will face pressure on appropriate bed types.
Director of Prison Operations Fairbairn described options under evaluation, including converting single cells to double bunking in existing facilities, purchasing or leasing a private facility, or constructing new capacity — with lead times from roughly two to five years. He cautioned that some beds cannot be used interchangeably (for example women's facility beds cannot house men) and that deferred‑maintenance issues complicate reactivation of unused buildings.
The department also tied prison capacity to county jail backlog: Fairbairn reported the backlog at 571 individuals (501 males, 70 females) and said intake into DOC is constrained by bed availability. Lawmakers asked for per‑day cost figures for placements and whether counties could expand capacity; DOC agreed to provide daily cost breakdowns by security level and said it is engaging sheriffs and the CSOC on backlog management.
Next steps: DOC to supply the committee with the facility master plan projections, the assumptions that underlie DCJ modeling and detailed per‑diem cost figures for state, county and private placements.
