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Updated designs for proposed new jail released

Plans call for use of current site

An initiative to replace Cheyenne's County aging jail took a step forward Monday afternoon as conceptual drawings of what a new facility could look like were presented.

Sheriff John Jenson prefaced Monday's presentation by saying the designs of a possible new jail were preliminary. The architects were tasked with examining whether the new jail could be incorporated in an expanded courthouse using the existing site – and it can, he said.

While the specific locations of offices and hallways could still be modified, the designs show the location is capable of accommodating a 48-bed jail.

According to projections, the new jail would fulfill the county's needs for the next 15-20 years while also being easily expandable to accommodate future growth.

The plans also provide space at the courthouse for probation and county attorney offices. Because of space constraints, both of those offices have been relocated from the courthouse in past decades. Returning them to the courthouse would improve efficiency among county operations and eliminate the rent paid at their current locations, a report prepared in conjunction with the designs states.

The designs presented include one- and two-story options.

Matt Krause, from Carlson West Povondra Architects, said both have benefits and downsides.

A one-story building requires a larger footprint, but saves money on reducing staffing costs in the jail. A two-story building would leave room on the property for a parking lot, but would require more square footage to accommodate stairwells and elevators.

Estimated costs for the proposed project – which include a new jail and renovations at the courthouse – range between $13.4 million for the one-story option and $13.8 million for the two-story option.

Mike West, also from the architectural firm, said the questions now facing the county commissioners are, "Where do you want to go from here? And, how quickly do you want to get there?"

Darrell Johnson, chairman of the Cheyenne County Board of Commissioners, said the county needs to discuss the possibility of a new jail with taxpayers.

"I think the future is discussion with the public and seeing where we want to go," he said.

This week's presentation follows – and builds upon – work completed earlier.

In February, a team of consultants completed a feasibility study examining the existing facility and identifying what would be needed in the future.

The results found the jail, located in the Cheyenne County Courthouse that was built in the 1960s, often operates at capacity. As the county's population has increased, so too has the jail's average-day population.

Currently, the jail can house up to 20 inmates – but if modern standards and regulations were applied, that number would drop to six. Additionally, the jail is unable to house females or inmates with mental health concerns. Instead, other counties are paid to take custody of those individuals.

During the past seven years, Cheyenne County paid $1 million for offsite housing.

An expanded jail would eliminate those costs while allowing the county to receive revenue by housing out-of-county prisoners when space is available.

 

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