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Sheriff requests roughly $17,000 study to assess one-unit jail expansion; board to consider funding
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Summary
Des Moines County Sheriff asked supervisors to authorize a professional cost-and-design study (about $17,000–$18,000) to determine whether a one-unit remodel adding 15–18 beds is feasible; speakers flagged out-of-county housing costs, staffing and possible opioid-grant funding for treatment space.
Sheriff KG asked the Des Moines County Board of Supervisors to authorize a design-and-cost study costing about $17,008.90 to $17,890 to determine whether remodeling a single unit at the county jail to add roughly 15–18 beds is feasible.
The sheriff told the board the jail was built in 1994–95 and is undersized: “We can hold 68, plus 12,” he said, and described the intake limit that leads to routine out-of-county placements. He said the county has averaged about $270,000–$280,000 annually in out-of-county housing costs over the past eight years but expects to spend about $350,000 this year because daily out-of-county rates have risen to about $65.
The sheriff said a one-unit remodel would improve classification and safety by allowing the county to separate inmates by security level and medical needs. “One of these unit remodels is gonna add 15 to 18 beds,” he said, adding that the county’s recent staffing survey indicates the jail can absorb that increase within current manpower.
Board members pressed on whether additional hiring would be required and on the project’s likely return on investment. The sheriff cautioned that housing inmates locally does not fully eliminate per-inmate costs (medical, food, disposables) and estimated the net annual savings from housing more people locally would be roughly half of current out-of-county expenditures, not the full $350,000.
The sheriff proposed funding the study from existing inmate funds (an account he said is currently earmarked for transport vehicles and safety equipment) and suggested also pursuing Attorney General grant dollars and opioid-related funding if the remodel can include medical or treatment space. He noted an FCC rule reducing what counties may recoup from phone and video visitation to about 2¢ is likely to reduce those inmate-fund revenues beginning in early April, increasing pressure on sources for capital work.
The board signaled support for moving forward with the study and asked staff to return with a budget amendment or funding recommendation at a later date. The sheriff said he would return with detailed cost estimates and any recommended funding sources once the study is complete.
What’s next: The sheriff will seek board approval of funding for the study and, if the study suggests a viable scope, a later budget amendment to fund design and construction.
