Irvine Delays Decision on Musick Jail

For the second consecutive week, Irvine’s City Council delayed action Tuesday on a proposal that could clear the way for an expansion of the James A. Musick Branch Jail.

The issue will be on next week’s agenda, the council said in a brief announcement after a two-hour closed session.

The Orange County Board of Supervisors has voted to expand its 1,100-bed jail in Irvine into a maximum-security facility that would house 7,500 inmates. After an outcry from nearby residents, Irvine and Lake Forest filed a lawsuit to block the plan.

The Irvine council now is debating whether to accept a compromise with the county that would allow expansion of Musick to house 4,600 inmates at most.

Orange County Sheriff Mike Carona, who pledged during his election campaign to do what he could to reverse the Musick expansion, has pushed for a compromise and set a March deadline for reaching one. That is when county voters will decide Measure F, which would require a two-thirds majority to approve construction or expansion of any jail, airport or toxic landfill within half a mile of homes.

County officials still are seeking a site for a new jail. Carona and a selection committee have narrowed the possibilities to three or four, including Freemont Canyon near Orange and two others close to Irvine.

Orange County has been under a federal judge’s order since 1985 to alleviate jail overcrowding.