Deschutes picks a different path for jail space

The Deschutes County Jail is over capacity, and the sheriff wants to expand, but already voters have said no, turning down a bond measure back in 2010.

The sheriff then asked county commissioners for $10 million coming from the county, and the sheriff’s budget to expand the jail, but one commissioner, Tammy Baney, had a different idea that’s gaining favor.

Instead of expanding the current adult jail, commissioners decided Tuesday to put dozens of inmates in the under-used juvenile detention facility, just around the corner from the jail.

Crowding has been an ongoing problem at the for years, and at one time led to early releases of inmates. Of late, the county has rented some jail beds in a neighboring county for the first time.

“We are just tasked both myself at the sheriff’s office and the employees there to try to make this thing work, seven days a week, 24 hours a day, 365” days a year, Blanton said. “(It) doesn’t matter if it’s New Years Eve, Christmas Eve. We are functionally out of options.”

The jail books, on average, 16 people a day, and transports up to 30 to court hearings.

“It’s an issue with public safety,” Blanton said. “An issue with employee safety and frankly it’s an issue with inmate safety.”

Blanton and several deputies sat waiting for a decision at a Deschutes County commissioners meeting Tuesday.

“It’s a difficult decision and emotions wrapped up,” said Blanton. “We like to be everything to everybody. I don’t know how we can do that.”

Commissioners decided not to go with Blanton’s proposal to expand the jail by 144 beds, which would cost $10 million through the use of bonds — using money in existing county budgets.

“Good people trying to make difficult decisions,” Blanton said. “I don’t take anything personal, business decisions sometimes are difficult.”

Instead, the commissioners decided the jail could use the current juvenile detention center a short distance away.

On average the facility serves only about eight to 14 juveniles, leaving much of the building empty.

Commissioner Tammy Baney, who proposed use of the juvenile detention center, said this issue is one of the hardest she’s had to deal with, and it’s also been a tough topic for Commissioner Alan Unger.

“It’s hard to take what’s there in juvenile services and go backwards,” Unger said. “Take a step backwards, while we try to look at how we can take steps forward.”

Unger said the county is seeing less state funding for juvenile programs, and moving to a smaller facility will help need with revenues.

“But we have this overcrowding issue in the jail,” Unger said. “And it’s not getting better. It’s getting worse. So we just have to move forward.”

The board is now looking into the costs of creating a temporary juvenile detention center in downtown Bend — ironically, at the county’s old, original juvenile facility.

They’re also looking for a long-term solution for where to house young offenders.