Steele County looking for 50-50 partnership on jail

Steele County Commissioners met in a special session Monday to hammer out details of a jail collaboration proposal they called a “once in a lifetime opportunity” for both Rice and Steele counties.
A week earlier, the two boards met, and Rice County officials said they needed specifics to determine whether collaboration is their best option or whether it’s better to move forward with plans to construct a new jail.
Built in 2003, Steele County’s Detention Center is valued at a little more than $14 million. During Monday’s meeting, Steele County commissioners said they are prepared to sell half of the detention center’s assets to Rice County and enter into a Joint Powers Agreement to form a regional jail authority. That would allow the two counties to own and operate the regional jail on a 50-50 basis, including transportation costs.
The bottom line is that a shared regional jail operation would save taxpayers in both Rice and Steele counties, several commissioners said. Last year, it cost Steele County taxpayers $3.6 million to run the detention center.
Steele County’s jail population is expected to remain flat through 2045. A recent study projected that the county will need just under half of its 138-bed operational capacity established by the Department of Corrections.
The Steele County Board authorized Commissioner Jim Abbe and County Administrator Scott Golberg to present the proposal as a starting point to Rice County commissioners on Tuesday.
The cost of building a new jail in Rice County is projected to be a little more than $49 million.