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.