Committee to study Bannock County Jail issues
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POCATELLO — The Bannock County Commission has appointed 11 citizens to take a look at overcrowding and repairs at the jail.
The jail is in need of $3 million to finance repairs and other issues the group may discover as they tour and assess the jail, the county said in a news release.
In a public hearing last year, residents debated the $18 million bond proposal. Most of the attendees opposed the bond, suggesting alternatives like incorporating weekend courts, having a mental health facility or using unoccupied buildings to house lower-risk inmates.
However, Sheriff Lorin Nielsen has been pressing about a bigger facility for some time. Around October, he asked law enforcement around Pocatello not to book anyone unless they absolutely had to due to overcrowding.
The bond would cover the cost of a 34,000 square foot expansion adding 260 more beds. The jail currently holds 264.
The $3 million for repairs is also included in the bond.
The proposal is set to undergo a series of public hearings before being voted on in May.