CANYON COUNTY, Idaho — After nearly 20 years of delays, Canyon County will finally build a new women's jail facility on an empty lot in Caldwell, addressing a serious overcrowding crisis that has plagued the county's jail system for decades.
Over the years, Canyon County voters have denied three bond proposals to build a new facility. This forced the county to rely on temporary fixes such as sending general population inmates to a tent facility that was originally intended to house work-release inmates.
"So we are no longer holding nonviolent offenders. This facility plans for the future and it will meet the goal of incarcerating people that should not be in the community," said Commissioner Leslie Van Beek.
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County commissioners turned to reserves to fund the $7.5 million project. It's the first step in a phased plan to ease overcrowding and provide better long-term facilities for women.
"Taking the money out of the reserved fund where those funds have already been collected is the right use of taxpayer dollars," Van Beek said.
WATCH TO SEE WHY COUNTY LEADERS SAY THIS $7.5M WOMEN’S JAIL IS LONG OVERDUE
An exclusive look inside the facility where women are currently incarcerated reveals obvious overcrowding, with inmates held in spaces not designed for long-term habitation.
"Public safety has to be the foundation of any government," said Sheriff Kieran Donahue. "If there's no place to hold them, those people are going to be out in the streets — and that makes our community less safe."
Donahue said relocating female inmates will immediately improve their conditions and free up more than 60 beds for men, helping the county better manage its growing jail population.
Construction on the new women's jail could begin as soon as next spring, with doors expected to open by late 2026 or early 2027.
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