The County Boards of Steele and its five neighboring counties have unanimously agreed to participate in the study of the feasibility of construction and operation of a regional jail.

Sunday, October 31, 1999

The County Boards of Steele and its five neighboring counties have unanimously agreed to participate in the study of the feasibility of construction and operation of a regional jail. The Steele County Jail Study Committee initiated the regional concept, and the study is being funded by the State Legislature and administered by the Minnesota Supreme Court. It will be completed by Jan. 15, 2000.

"I am very encouraged," study committee chairman Tom Shea said. "Whether or not a regional jail is going to work for each county remains to be seen. Hopefully this study will help us make that decision."

In addition to Steele County, Dodge, Freeborn, Mower, Rice and Waseca counties have agreed to be part of the study. David Voorhis, a nationally recognized criminal justice consultant, will conduct the study and prepare the final report.

The study will examine the historical jail use of each participating county, project their needs for jail space in the coming years, identify issues which may prevent the use of a regional jail and develop a conceptual model for a regional facility which accounts for the needs and overcomes the obstacles.

Voorhis has established basic assumptions going into the study: there is economic efficiency in a larger facility; the facility will have 200 beds, a transportation plan will be in place to move prisoners; emphasis will be placed on security and safety both for citizens and the staff that work in the facility; technology such as video arraignment and visitation will be integral to the project’s success; the facility will provide programming to reduce repeat offenses; and each county will likely retain a jail facility in their county seat for arrests, work release and court holdings.

"If a regional jail can relieve pressure on existing jails, or provide for each county’s future needs, then it’s a concept we may want to consider," Shea said. "on the other hand, if a regional jail doesn’t work for any one of our counties it probably won’t work for any of us."

Participation in the study does not commit any county to participation in a regional jail. The only commitment at this time is to take part in the study, at no cost to the individual counties.