Blog note: this article references a grand jury report.
Officials have completed the first major expansion of the Shasta County Jail since 1993, adding an additional 102 beds.
Sheriff Tom Bosenko said he was happy with the jail remodeling but cautioned it doesn't solve the county's problem of jail overcrowding and early releases.
"It is a big deal. It's the first major expansion of jail bed space since 1993," Bosenko said. "It is not a solution for out jail bed shortage, but it is a step in the right direction."
The extra beds increase the jail capacity from 381 beds to 483.
Bosenko said the county still needs a new county jail to address the long-term needs of housing inmates.
The jail processes 20 to 60 inmate bookings every day, creating the possibility of quickly filling up the available beds.
"These beds could end up getting filled right away," Bosenko said.
The $1.6 million project was paid for from the county general fund, he said. The increase in inmate beds was achieved through remodeling existing space at the jail, rather than expanding the size of the jail.
A new courthouse planned for downtown Redding could result in more jail space when it is completed, Bosenko said.
The jail could expand into the space currently used for two courtrooms adjacent to the jail. Moving into the courtroom space could provide enough room for an additional 64 to 100 beds, he said.
A 13-page report issued this past summer by the Shasta County Grand Jury said there was a "critical" need for more inmate beds at the Shasta County Jail.
"The greatest challenge to jail funding is that Shasta County revenues have not kept pace with the rise in operational jail costs," the grand jury report says.
In its report titled "Shasta County Jail: Funding and Capacity, A Public Safety Crisis Deepens," the grand jury called on the Shasta County Supervisors to determine how many additional jail beds are needed, both now and in the future.
It also recommended supervisors identify operational jail funding to match the jail capacity need, and to adopt a plan for both short-term and long-term needs, as well as funding sources, for the operational costs associated with any expansion.
In its summary, the grand jury report said the chronic shortage of jail beds was "significantly exacerbated" with the passage of Assembly Bill 109 in 2011, Proposition 47 in 2014 and Proposition 57 in 2016.
The report also said the percentage of funds that Shasta County is contributing from the general fund to the jail is at a 10-year low. As of last year, the general fund contributed 56 percent of the jail's budget, in contrast to 79 percent in 2011.
It says this is partly due to AB 109 funds replacing historical funding sources for the jail.
According to the summary, county officials and administrators are unsure how current jail operations will be funded over the next several fiscal years.
In a May update to a jail facilities needs assessment, it says the need for inmate beds has risen over the last five years due to AB 109 legislation.
January 11, 2019
Redding Record Searchlight
By Damon Arthur
No comments:
Post a Comment