Clark County’s Correction Facility Advisory Commission (CFAC) has concluded its research into a jail replacement with sights set on a report to Clark County Council in September, though discussion of their findings point to an expensive conversation down the line.
The county announced that CFAC will focus on finalizing their report ahead of the September work session with the council. That report “will detail the results of its 18 months of research and consensus on the need, size, and characteristics for the corrections facility,” according to the announcement.
Initially, the CFAC was expected to provide a recommendation on a more specific replacement to the council, though last month the realities of the costs associated caused the commission to reconsider. Information from the last few meetings showed two potential scenarios for a jail replacement — one that would fully replace the 13th Street jail while moving operations from the Lower River Road work center to the main jail, and another that would divide operations among the two locations with replacement at both.
Though the capital costs for both scenarios are significant — $381.5 million for the first scenario and $421 million for the second — it was the operating costs that the commission found “untenable” according to minutes from their June 11 meeting. Whereas estimates on those costs for current operations are at close to $111 per day, per inmate, the first scenario would approach $170 per day, per inmate, while the second would be more than $231 at that rate.
Following a presentation on options being considered, “CFAC concluded that the jail replacement scenario cost estimates provided are untenable, and that an adjustment in their approach to fulfilling their charge was warranted,” according to minutes from their June 11 meeting.
The report this fall will detail some of those findings, as the county’s announcement stated that commission members did manage to agree on many of the components that a future jail would entail. Commission members noted that their work was “Phase 1 of what will be a continuing community conversation about jail needs and costs” with members agreeing more research was needed. Several commission members expressed interest in being a part of next phases.
The CFAC formed in April 2018 following a consultant report calling for jail improvements earlier that year. The commission’s work was initially scheduled to be completed by November of that year, though meetings continued on through 2019.
Following their presentation of their report Clark County Council and staff will discuss the next steps of the jail replacement process, according to the announcement.
