FOND DU LAC (NBC 26) — Fond du Lac County Officials say the county's 70-year-old jail presents serious safety and efficiency issues for inmates and staff.
"We have got to do something about the jail," said County Board Supervisor Jon Venhuizen, who is on the county's jail ad hoc committee.
The sheriff's office said the jail is sitting on unstable soil, which has caused structural damage to the building, like cracks in walls and floors, or doors that no longer fit properly and are difficult to open.
Additionally, the sheriff's office said the decades-old facilities are not equipped to serve the inmate population. They've had to convert closets and classrooms into cells, and small spaces can make it difficult for jail staff to access inmates in an emergency. The current jail is also spread out, instead of having a pod structure with a control center that would allow the staff to monitor all inmates.
“There's lots of issues with structure, also with safety and some different concerns of efficiency," Venhuizen said.
Venhuizen said the county board formed a committee this summer to investigate conditions at the jail and make a recommendation.
“We decided we need a new jail," Venhuizen said.
Chief Deputy Kevin Galske said a fully new facility, built on county-owned land, could cost about $300 million.
"The construction costs have gone up significantly in the last five years, and they're going to continue to rise," Galske said.
Despite the cost, Galske said it’s badly needed.
"We have some cells that were built back in the 50s, so they're not very user-friendly for both the inmates and the staff," Galske said.
Tom Denk knows what it’s like to be behind bars, after stays in the Manitowoc and Ozaukee County jails. He said he hopes that the changes go beyond just structural.
"I would like to see a focus on mental health, not only of people that are residing in the jail but staff too," Denk said.
Social justice advocate Amber Edwards said she hopes the county will prioritize programming to combat recidivism.
"If we're faced with putting, you know, two and a half million dollars into producing a new facility, we could opt to take that same amount of money, put it into mental health services, things like that," Edwards said. "I think that we would see a significant decrease in the amount of times people return to jail."
Galske said they’re also running out of space in the jail, and 10 inmates are currently being housed in other counties.
Denk is worried about how the extra space could be used.
"If they build it, they'll fill it," Denk said. "That's the problem. We have way too many people in jails and prison, the way it is, and it's not working."
Galske said a new facility would not impact the number of people arrested and put in jail.
"There's many things throughout our world that dictate the levels of population. It's not the sheriff's office or having a bigger facility," Galske said.
Galske and Venhuizen said more space could allow more resources for incarcerated people.
“That lack of space is difficult to get all the programming in that we would like, so this will provide for that as well," Galske said.
The county board's ad hoc committee will present its findings to the county board during its Feb. 11 meeting and will hold public information sessions as the planning continues.
