COUNTY TO EXPAND JAIL; ARCHITECTS HIRED FOR $4.5 MILLION PROJECT

JACKSON -- An expansion to the Cape Girardeau County jail is one step closer to reality after a contract was signed Thursday between the County Commission and Jackson architect John Dudley.

Commissioners said they would like to see an additional 186 jail beds at a cost not to exceed $4.5 million.

If all goes as planned, groundbreaking for the expansion could take place within a year, said Sheriff John Jordan.

"This will be a major expansion of the jail," said Presiding Commissioner Gerald Jones. "We don't know exactly what the magnitude will be."

Lawrence Goldberg Architects of St. Joseph, a firm specializing in jail construction, will work with Dudley on the project.

Jordan said, "I think between the two of them, we will get an extremely good project."

Planning for the expansion began in May 1996, when Jordan explained that the jail was overcrowded and new beds needed.

A number of studies on needs have been conducted. The county has also purchased five pieces of property around the jail in preparation for the expansion.

In September 1996, the county landed a $1.5 million grant from the U.S. Marshal's Service for the jail project. However, the expansion will require a significant financial commitment from the county.

But county commissioners aren't planning to ask for a tax increase. Eventually the jail should pay for itself and could even become a profitable venture for the county if it holds federal or state prisoners or prisoners from other counties.

The jail was built in 1979, and had a maximum capacity of 64 inmates. In 1996, bunk beds were added in the dormitory to create room for more prisoners. Current maximum capacity is 80.

But Jordan said the jail population has exploded in the last couple of years. Felons account for most of the growth, he said.

The county jail has experienced about a 60 percent growth in population. Just two or three years ago, the average daily census was in the 40s; today the average daily number hovers closer to 100.

Often county prisoners are housed in neighboring jails.

"The costs are astronomical," Jordan said. "It's really a budget-buster."

When the expansion is complete, Jordan said, the jail should be large enough to hold all the county's prisoners plus others.

Commissioners plan to sit down next week with the architect to look at preliminary sketches and kick around ideas.

The contract calls for a fixed spending limit and a specified scope for the project. The budget and scope haven't been set yet.

"But once we set that figure, we're sticking to it," said Jones.