# Commissioners pull jail-overcrowding ordinance from the agenda, say a decision is still weeks away

## What happened
A county official identified in the meeting as Friedrich told commissioners the county continues to house 25 to 50 inmates outside the county because of jail overcrowding — averaging about 30 this summer — at a cost of roughly $400,000 to $600,000 a year. ([22:52](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8gKrrpK8ho&t=1372), [22:59](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8gKrrpK8ho&t=1379), [23:14](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8gKrrpK8ho&t=1394)) He said residents regularly ask the commissioners what will be done about it, but that the county isn't ready to put forward an ordinance today, and instead wants a group of people who deal with the jail every day — judges, the sheriff's department, the prosecutor, and others — to study whether the fix should be an expanded community corrections center or an added jail pod, and bring back a recommendation. ([23:45](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8gKrrpK8ho&t=1425), [24:17](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8gKrrpK8ho&t=1457)) An attorney identified as Dave, who has handled the county's federal jail class-action lawsuit since 2016, said he has a meeting scheduled with the judges next week to go over the options, along with staffing problems caused by moving inmates to the courthouse for hearings — which he said has forced mandatory overtime for correctional officers and contributed to turnover — and two video courtrooms built into the jail in 2021 that have never been used. ([26:13](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8gKrrpK8ho&t=1573), [26:46](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8gKrrpK8ho&t=1606)) An ordinance that had been placed on today's agenda addressing the jail decision was withdrawn and not brought forward. ([30:32](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8gKrrpK8ho&t=1832))

## The outcome
No vote taken; the ordinance was pulled from today's agenda. Commissioners said they are waiting on a recommendation after the county's outside jail counsel meets with judges next week, before returning with a proposed ordinance.

## Sources
- [Out-of-county inmate housing and cost, 22:52](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8gKrrpK8ho&t=1372)
- [Current average about 30 inmates, 22:59](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8gKrrpK8ho&t=1379)
- [Estimated $400,000–$600,000 a year, 23:14](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8gKrrpK8ho&t=1394)
- [Not ready for an ordinance today, 23:45](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8gKrrpK8ho&t=1425)
- [Wants a working group to recommend a fix, 24:17](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8gKrrpK8ho&t=1457)
- [Meeting with judges scheduled next week, 26:13](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8gKrrpK8ho&t=1573)
- [Staffing overtime and unused video courtrooms, 26:46](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8gKrrpK8ho&t=1606)
- [Ordinance withdrawn from today's agenda, 30:32](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8gKrrpK8ho&t=1832)

*Also known as: jail overcrowding · jail pod expansion · community corrections expansion · housing inmates out of county · jail class action lawsuit*