More Regional Jail Talks In The Works

Conversation over a regional jail facility between Gooding and Twin Falls Counties will take place this afternoon.  That meeting will be held at 2 o'clock.  Twin Falls and Gooding County Commissioners are discussing the possibility of building a regional jail facility in Wendell for the two counties to share.  Such a facility would save Gooding County about half a million dollars a year from its current one million dollar annual cost.  Twin Falls County could save in the long run on personnel costs and the daily cost to house a prisoner out of county would drop  from the current $50 a day to about $20 per day.  Twin Falls County is currently about five jail deputies short to be in compliance with accepted standards.  Sharing a facility with Gooding County would save Twin Falls County about $250,000 per year on personnel wages and bring the county into compliance.