Ground is broken on a new part of the Bonneville County Jail that will serve inmates with medical and mental needs
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IDAHO FALLS — The Bonneville County Commissioners and members of the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office met Thursday morning to break ground on an expansion of the Bonneville County Jail. The expansion, called the Special Handling facility, will serve inmates with special medical and mental needs, as well as those who have developmental disabilities or who are suicidal and a danger to themselves or others.
Currently, these needs are being met while inmates are in the general population. While this does work, Sheriff Sam Hulse said it isn’t the most effective way to do things. Their goal is to provide a better environment for the staff as well as inmates.
The new expansion will also be used to expand treatment and education opportunities for inmates.
“While they’re with us, they can go through different types … of training and also treatment for substance abuse,” Hulse said.
These kinds of opportunities can improve the lives of inmates while they are incarcerated and contributes to the overall goal of reducing recidivism — that is, reoffending after their release.
“Anything we can do to help someone transition to a positive and productive path when they’re in this situation is a good thing,” Hulse said.
The project, he says, has been needed for some time.
“The special housing area has been undersized for probably about 15 years,” Hulse said. “It creates a lot of pressure on staff, trying to help those individual inmates. Plus, it creates and overcrowding issue.”
Expected to be completed in August of 2024, the facility will employ eight additional deputies and house up to 94 people. Officials estimate the total cost of the project to be about $19.2 million, with $17.2 million coming from the federal government and $4.2 million coming from Bonneville’s own monies that officials have been putting aside for the project.
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