Solution for overcrowded Sarasota County Jail getting closer
Sarasota County officials are edging toward a proposal to address overcrowding at the county jail, but the solution will take more time to implement.
Nearly two years ago, the County Commission moved closer to a solution with a proposed 200-bed secured treatment facility that would be housed at the Central Energy Plant at 2020 Main St.
But plans for the facility have taken some time to materialize, in part because of the need for studies of the potential location and securing funding for an initial design of the new facility. Officials from the Sheriff's Office and Sarasota County Department of Human Services are closer to a proposal for an annex which would focus on reentry, mental health and substance abuse programming.
More government coverage: Sarasota County administrator considers elevated pay raises for county employees
Wayne Applebee, senior manager of Human Services, said officials are aiming to present a proposal to county commissioners by September. It would include potential costs for building the facility, annual operations expenses, capacity and funding options.
Maj. Brian Meinberg, who oversees the Courts and Corrections Bureau for the Sheriff's Office, said the annex could potentially house between 200 to 300 beds. This would free up space in the jail, which consistently runs above its operational capacity of 836 inmates, Meinberg said. As of June 30, the jail had 951 inmates.
Rising jail population
Jail crowding isn't new to the county, with previous reporting by the Sarasota Herald-Tribune indicating has plagued the jail since 2005.
However, since 2010, the recidivism rate and the number of serious crimes including murder, assault, burglary, and rape, have declined. At a June 23 county budget hearing, Meinberg said the recidivism rate in 2020 — the latest year calculated — was 25.9%, down from 31.2% in 2010.
In case you missed it: Veteran Sarasota deputy cleared in shooting of 65-year-old man during eviction
Yet, other factors continue to keep the inmate population above operational capacity.
Meinberg said that in 2020 and 2021, the case clearing rates slowed as the courts became backed with jury trials paused because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"The other big reason is that the majority of folks coming through the jail now are charged with felonies," Meinberg said.
In 2020, felony arrests outpaced misdemeanor arrests by more than 1,200 arrests, according to annual reports listed on the sheriff's website. Just five years earlier in 2015, misdemeanors eclipsed felonies by more than 1,250 arrests.
This leads to more inmates staying longer at the jail, with the average stay in 2021 49 days, according to data presented at the budget meeting.
Details to come
The annex would also help to alleviate some of the strain on the various specialty programs the jail has to help rehabilitate inmates, including its Recovery Pod, Collaborative Approach to Reintegration through Education (C.A.R.E.) Pod and Reentry Pod.
Each pod has a capacity of 48 beds, with the C.A.R.E. Pod typically housing between 30 to 35 inmates for safety reasons and the Recovery Pod including 12 beds for women. Meinberg said the pods are typically full with a waitlist of other inmates needing to get in.
Meanwhile: Officials say three-alarm residential fire injured firefighter. Fireworks possible cause
More coverage: North Port to ask voters to approving borrowing for widening Price Boulevard
The treatment facility would allow more inmates to be treated through the programs without having to be placed on a waitlist, potentially further reducing recidivism rates.
Even if the proposal is presented to county commissioners in the fall, Applebee said it would take years before the project would came to fruition.
The county has hired an architectural firm to assess the potential site's suitability and while it has been deemed viable to house the treatment annex, there are some technical limitations and building codes that will need to be worked around, Applebee said.
The expected cost to build the new facility is also expected to surpass the county's current bonding limit of $25.8 million, meaning the county would need to hold a voter referendum. Applebee said the timing for a referendum is uncertain, with many details remaining to be worked out before a vote and any bidding on construction contracts.
Gabriela Szymanowska covers the legal system for the Herald-Tribune in partnership with Report for America. You can support her work with a tax-deductible donation to Report for America. Contact Gabriela Szymanowska at gszymanowska@gannett.com, or on Twitter.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Sarasota County on conceptual stage for jail overcrowding solution
