The facility, which has four, 60-person pods, was closed at the end of 2009 as part of more than $4 million in county budget cuts.
The sheriff’s department plans to open two of the pods this year, said Chief Deputy Dave Duchak. The second pod is targeted to open in September.
Among work done to prepare for opening was repairing a leaking roof and installing different razor wire for topping security fencing. Floors received new treatment and the interior was painted.
Duchak said 20 inmates were being moved Tuesday, helping to ease continuous crowding at the downtown jail. On Tuesday that facility, built in the 1970s, had 110 inmates.
Duchak said a state jail inspector recently said the downtown jail’s acceptable population will be reduced to 43 to meet current standards following an upcoming state inspection.
The timing of the reopening is good, Duchak said.
“The past few weeks we have seen an increase in fights in the jail due to the overcrowding and close proximity of inmate to inmate creates more personality conflicts,” he said.
The reopening also will allow the county Municipal Court judges see sentences carried out for people waiting to serve between three and 30 days. Duchak said 170 people are on the waiting list. Getting those people’s time served not only will help the court but assist in training new staff in booking people in and out of the facility, he said.
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