“I couldn’t be more pleased that finally, we’re getting ready to get started on the beds that are so desperately needed,” said Montgomery County Commission President Judy Dodge.
Jail space will be repurposed to provide more detox, suicide prevention treatment, medical care and an enhanced intake area. In addition to expanding clinic space used by the jail’s Naphcare medical staff, the project will include improvements to the intake and booking process, adding padded crisis cells and creating a new entrance for employees, among other updates.
“What this does is give the sheriff tools that he will need to treat individuals in the jail and quickly turn around and get them out of the jail,” said Montgomery County Administrator Michael Colbert.
Colbert said the project has been years in the making. The Montgomery County commission in 2017 formed the independent Justice Committee, representing civil rights groups, law enforcement, the legal system, academia, health care and faith communities.
In 2018, the Justice Committee brought in jail consultant CGL of Louisville, whose 2019 report found issues with capacity, operations, space and facility condition. A full facility replacement was recommended at more than $170 million.
The commission in 2021 determined that a jail replacement was not financially feasible, and in 2023, the Behavioral Health Task Force was formed in response to rising behavioral health challenges. This group was made up of representatives of health care, the judicial system and law enforcement and other groups.
The pandemic drove a 26% increase in behavioral health issues, according to county officials.
A Dayton Daily News analysis of Ohio jail data for 2023 found that more people died after being put in custody at the Montgomery County jail than at any other jail in Ohio. That year, seven people died after being put in the jail’s custody. The following year, another inmate died in custody after taking a gun from an officer while receiving care at Kettering Health Dayton.
And this year, a 25-year-old died during his brief stay at Montgomery County Jail.
The commission in 2023 approved a plan to convert 226 general population beds into a behavioral health and medical wing, adding 100 medical beds to the existing 12. The project is funded by the American Rescue Plan Act and opioid settlement funds.
The commission is also investing $1.3 million of opioid settlement funds into the Behavioral Health Safety Net Portal, a communitywide referral system to help health care providers coordinate care for people coming into emergency departments and other spaces with behavioral health needs.
“The challenges we see in our community are often reflected inside our jail,” said Montgomery County Sheriff Rob Streck. “This long-awaited behavioral health unit will allow us to address those needs more effectively, support recovery and offer a path toward lasting stability.”
Granger Construction Company is serving as the Behavioral Health Unit’s Construction Manager at Risk and will oversee the project, while Levin Porter Architects and HDR handled the design work.
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