March 20, 2000

More space, more beds, but now-- not enough guards. The new Salt Lake County jail already feeling growing pains, just two months after it opens. News specialist Jill Atwood explains a new twist on an old problem.

The new jail is filling up a lot faster than first anticipated, and unless they get more guards the sheriff will be forced to draw the line on the prison population.

Just two months ago 1,000 prisoners made their way from the old jail to the new jail. An Adult Detention Center with more than double the capacity.

Sgt. Dean Adams/Salt Lake Co. Sheriff's Dept.: NOW THAT THE ADC IS OPEN WE NO LONGER HAVE THE FEDERAL DECREE AND WE CAN ACCEPT ANYBODY AND EVERYBODY.

But that could soon change.

In buiding the new jail, the County got exactly what it wanted-- more space, more beds for prisoners. But now there is a new problem-- there aren't enough guards to watch those extra prisoners, and now the sheriff's department finds itself in the same situation as before.

Dep. Chief Paul Cunningham/Salt Lake Co. Sheriff's Dept.: WE MAY HAVE TO MANAGE THE PRISON POPULATION SO WE COULD BE LOOKING AT A COUPLE DIFFERENT OPTIONS, INCLUDING BOOKING RESTRICTIONS AND A RELEASE PROGRAM. IT'S SIMILAR TO BUT NOT THE SAME AS THE CONSENT DECREE RELEASES.

Overcrowding isn't the problem, at least for now. It's understaffing. 128 prisoners added in just the last four weeks has jail employees working overtime and the sheriff worried about safety. So for now, recruiting and training are top priority.

WE'RE TRACKING AND TRAINING, AND HIRING AS MANY PEOPLE AS WE CAN, BUT IT'S GOING TO TAKE A WHILE TO CATCH UP WITH AS MANY PEOPLE AS WE NEED TO HIRE.

In the meantime, the sheriff's department may be forced to look at early release. And really the timing of this staffing problem couldn't be worse because we are heading into the warmer months now when crime tends to go up.