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Committee debates $14 million Delta fence amid split on whether capital will unlock beds
Summary
Members weighed a $14 million Delta perimeter fence that would change the facility's classification and potentially unlock additional beds, but questions about cost per additional usable bed, statutory custody limits and non‑capital alternatives left the request unresolved.
A staff write‑up and member debate on Feb. 26 examined a $14 million capital request to add a perimeter fence at the Delta facility, a change staff said could reclassify Delta (historically a level‑1 facility) and let the Department of Corrections more flexibly place higher‑classification inmates there.
Justin Brackie summarized the trade‑offs: the fence is not required to operate Delta as a minimum‑security facility and the prison has historically run close to capacity as level‑1, but a fence would reduce escape risk and permit placement of more inmates at higher custody levels. Staff estimated the fence would enable some 30–100 additional beds to be used at higher levels depending on parole and population flows. The committee focused on three questions: (1) is the return‑on‑investment of ~$14 million justified by the small number of additional usable beds; (2) are non‑capital alternatives (pay premiums, statutory changes to custody eligibility, or increased incentives) more cost‑effective; and (3) does the fence materially reduce local escape risk and downstream county jail pressure?
Members proposed alternatives including statutory adjustments to parole‑eligibility thresholds that could increase the pool of inmates eligible for minimum‑ or lower‑security placements, additional hiring incentives for difficult rural posts, or targeted policy changes to expedite custody reclassification. Brackie noted that some of the vacancy dynamics at Delta were likely driven by parole board decisions and by a 2023 flood that temporarily reduced usable capacity.
No final capital vote was taken on the fence during the figure‑setting session; members asked the department to provide more options and modeling, including non‑capital approaches, a clearer calculation of beds unlocked versus dollars spent, and whether modest statutory changes could yield comparable capacity gains at far lower cost.
Why it matters: converting the facility to accept higher custody levels changes the system’s ability to manage jail backlogs and the distribution of inmates across levels — choices that affect county jails, staffing challenges in remote facilities, and community safety expectations. Members said they want clearer evidence the fence would produce a durable capacity increase before committing capital funds.
Next steps: staff and the department will return with more detailed ROI analysis, alternative non‑capital strategies, and statutory language options for the committee to consider ahead of any capital decision.
