Fremont County Jail expansion nearing completion
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ST. ANTHONY — The Fremont County Jail expansion is nearing its end, with officials estimating a January 2024 completion date.
Approved by county commissioners in 2021, the addition is sorely needed, Fremont County Sheriff Len Humphries told EastIdahoNews.com.
“Currently, we have a 20-bed jail,” Humphries said. “We have been running at beyond-maximum for a long time.”
The jail expansion will add 44 beds, he said, and four cells will be for inmates who require extra care or have medical needs.
The additional space will also enable the county to house female inmates, something the current jail isn’t equipped for. Fremont County has to send its female inmates to the neighboring Madison County Jail.
“The existing 20-bed jail will be turned into a female facility, and the other 40 beds will be available for housing males,” Humphries said.
Not only will the expansion fulfill the county’s needs for its own inmates but the jail will be able to house inmates from other counties and even the state — while collecting fees for doing so.
“Our hope is that we’ll be able to generate enough revenue from leasing beds out to others to pretty much pay for it,” Humphries said.
RELATED | Fremont County commissioners approve $10.6 million county jail expansion
The jail, located inside the Fremont County Law Enforcement Complex, is next to the courthouse. Once the project is complete, a second-floor connection between the jail and courthouse will be used to keep inmates and officers safe as they go to and from court.
The project was estimated to cost over $10 million. However, Humphries told EastIdahoNews.com that the final price tag will actually be around $2 million less.
“We tried to be very conservative on the expansion,” Humphries said. “We’re not changing any of our offices … we’re just adding what we really need to have.”