Supervisors Appear Ready to Back Quick Building of New Jail

A new 600-bed medium-security jail, designed as a quick fix to relieve overcrowding in the county’s six jails, could be built and operating within a year under a proposal endorsed Friday by a majority of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors.

The jail would most likely be built next to the Las Colinas women’s jail in Santee, although sites in Otay and rural East County are still under consideration, county officials said.

Supervisors Susan Golding and Brian Bilbray said Friday that they intend to support the proposal when it comes before the board Tuesday. An aide to Supervisor George Bailey said Bailey also backs the idea. Supervisors Leon Williams and Paul Eckert could not be reached for comment.

According to the proposal by Chief Administrative Officer Norman Hickey and Sheriff John Duffy, the jail would consist of 19 prefabricated dormitory buildings with steel walls and concrete floors.

The jail would cost $9.4 million to build and would be financed by the sale of 30-year bonds that would require $1.1 million in annual payments. The jail would cost another $6.3 million each year to operate.

The Santee site is the leading candidate for the jail, according to Golding, Bilbray and Richard Robinson, director of special projects for the county. Other possibilities are the Otay landfill in South Bay and the Descanso jail camp east of Alpine.

The supervisors said they are prepared to waive county policies requiring competitive bidding and a longer period of study for the project. Negotiating a contract for construction can take considerably less time than setting requirements and accepting a competitive bid.

A full environmental impact review, however, is still planned for whichever site is chosen Tuesday.

The plan is a modification of one proposed by Duffy a month ago, when he told the board that he wanted the county to build two 300-bed jails, one temporary and the other permanent.

“Instead of putting 300 in one place and 300 in another place, we’re combining the two, which would make it more efficient,” said Assistant Sheriff Clifford Powell, who supervises the jails. “We have looked at what the problem is and the treatment has become something different.”

Golding said she was uncomfortable with the “fast-track” construction program, but she said she supports the proposal because the jail overcrowding has become too serious to ignore.

“I don’t think we have a choice,” she said. “I don’t like doing it this way but our backs are up against the wall and we have to do something.”

Bilbray said the 600 new beds would only put a dent in the jail overcrowding. The six jails were designed to hold 1,694 prisoners but have been averaging about 2,700.

“It’s sort of like paying off a mortgage,” he said. “You’ve got to start somewhere no matter how small it is if you’re going to pay it off eventually. We need to do everything and anything we can, when and where we can.”