Sheriff Malphrus asks Jasper County for major jail upgrades, flags choice between expansion or new facility

Sheriff Malphrus told the Jasper County board he is seeking multiple increases to the detention'center budget to address safety, communications and infrastructure shortfalls, including $38,055 for five handheld radios and roughly $250,000 for a second generator.

Malphrus outlined a long'term decision for the county: either expand the jail on the existing 26 acres or build a standalone facility. He said Moseley Architects quoted about $16 million to add a two'story wing (about 145 beds) to the current facility and that an earlier 2021 study estimated roughly $24 million for a new, standalone building. "For every year we wait, we're going to add about 5%," Malphrus said, urging engineering study of lingering flood risks before committing to a location.

The sheriff described urgent operational gaps he said put staff and inmates at risk. "If there's some kind of riot or something major happens ... they're doomed 'cause they have zero communication to the inside world to the outside world," he said, arguing handheld radios would give staff a "lifeline" to dispatch and other officers. He said the current generator cannot run the gate, camera or central control systems, and asked the board to consider purchasing a second generator estimated at about $250,000 so the facility can be operated and cleared in a power outage.

Malphrus presented a larger equipment package that included a $21,000 replacement tilting skillet for the jail kitchen, $15,000 for training (detention officers require 40 hours annually), $40,000 to fully outfit deputies with uniforms, 20 tasers for about $21,150, $150,000 a year for 40 body cameras and $11,415 for three in'car cameras. He also requested five additional leased vehicles for transport and investigative needs, estimating lease payments near $2,000 per month per vehicle (about $120,000 annually across five vehicles).

On fleet procurement, Malphrus criticized a previous lease/upfitter arrangement that left vehicles sitting unmodified and drove extra lease costs: he said Enterprise paid an upfitter that did not complete work, leaving the county to pay for older vehicles longer while newer vehicles sat idle. He described efforts to press Enterprise to resolve the backlog.

Malphrus said some detention'center revenue could offset costs: commissary and tablet accounts held about $450,000 when he took office, and he estimated annual fine and forfeiture receipts in the range of $600,000'$800,000 (after other entities take their shares). "We're willing to work and share and do what we can," he said about using available funds, but he cautioned there are restrictions on what those funds may cover.

The board did not take formal action on the requests. A member asked Malphrus to rank items by priority so the board can weigh immediate needs against longer'term capital choices; Malphrus agreed to provide a prioritized list. The board also agreed to schedule a standalone workshop or ad hoc committee focused on detention and sheriff's office needs to allow fuller discussion of the large-ticket items.

What happens next: the sheriff will supply a prioritized (1'to'5) list of requests and additional engineering information on flood risk and generator sizing. The board plans a follow'up standalone meeting to review the proposals and possible funding sources.