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Show County jail opens mew section By GARY R. BLODGETT FARMINGTON A 40-bed minimum security section of the Davis County Jail was opened Saturday, relieving the overcrowded over-crowded conditions of the main jail, it was announced by Capt. Phil Leonard, jail commander. The minimum-security section was formerly used for administrative administra-tive personnel for the jail. They were moved to the second floor of the jail annexation building, according to Capt. Leonard. Two large rooms with 20 bunks each (double bunking) were opened to weekend and work release re-lease inmates. The rooms are located lo-cated in a secured area of the building build-ing without any outside windows. A single dayroom, with tables for the evening meal, is located between be-tween the bunk rooms. The additional 40 bunks will increase in-crease the jail's inmate capacity to 148. Prior jail capacity was 108 bunks but was always overcrowded. over-crowded. "Summer occupancy -averages about 125 inmates per day, but this number increases to more than 140 during the winter," said Capt. Leonard. He emphasized that even with the additional 40 beds, the jail population will be near capacity at all times. "We'll be overcrowded again by the time the new jail is completed in west Farmington in about two years," the jail commander comman-der emphasized. Although only a stop-gap mea sure, the 40-bunk addition will provide pro-vide adequate sleeping quarters for the current inmate population and will separate the weekend and minimum security prisoners from the "long-term" inmates. Capt. Leonard said the renovation renova-tion of the jail to accommodate the additional 40 beds cost the county only about $22,000. He said there were no walls knocked out, leaving the interior of the building intact. A security system and other modifications had to be provided for necessary security and to meet state and federal jail standards. Three offices for department commanders will remain on the first floor adjacent to the new minimum mini-mum security facility. Sheriff and chief deputy offices have been moved into the administrative section sec-tion on the second floor. The front door of the jail will now be secured and the public will enter the jail annex (east end of the jail complex) and go to the second floor for administrative purposes, Capt. Leonard explained. Inmates being booked into jail will continue to be processed at the rear of the jail. Capt. Leonard said there was an average of 22 weekend and work release prisoners in the jail last week. "But this should be in- I creased to 40 (maximum number I for the new facility) within the next 30 to 60 days," he said. j Inmates may be sentenced to the j Davis County Jail for up to one : year, but the average stay is three : to four months. Capt. Leonard said that the "no smoking" ordinance relating to the jail will continue to be enforced. He noted that the bunking conditions condi-tions for the minimum security sec- -tion (20 per room) will be crowded but emphasized that the inmates are in the jail only on weekends or in the evenings during the week. Construction of the new county jail in west Farmington is expected to begin early next year and be completed in about two years. The mammoth jail complex will be designed de-signed to accommodate a max- imum of 396 inmates, including a ., section for mentally or physically . ill inmates. The $18.5 million facility, to be built near West State Street west of .'; Interstate Highway 15, will house court and other public safety ,j offices. The $18.5 million bond was approved by Davis County voters y in a recent bond election. |
