There’s always grumbling when we spend money on jails ... but it’s worth it

Sutter County has a population of just under 100,000. A subgroup of just three-tenths of a percent shouldn’t be that significant, right?

But it is. As of Tuesday of last week, the population at Sutter County Jail was 278. That’s pushing the limits. So we were glad to read of the progress on the Sutter County Jail expansion project.

We always hear some grumbling from some quarters whenever upgrades are being done to county jail facilities. The grumblers worry that improvements mean a cushier life for inmates who are in jail awaiting trial or serving sentences ... punishment should be punishing, after all.

Well, they’re not building luxury suites into the jail expansion. They’re adding space for more beds and doing upgrades that will make it less likely the county will have trouble with inmates being hurt, making it easier to safely manage inmates, and preventing claims for damages.

And besides, be as tough on criminals as you like, but jail prisoners were sentenced to incarceration and all that entails ... and no more than that. Jail facilities should be built, upgraded as need be and managed to mete out sentences, not put inmates (or staff) in serious danger.

Our Sutter County jail was built in 1977, has 352 inmate beds and will get an additional 42 with the construction, according to a report in the Thursday edition. Of those, 28 will be maximum security beds for males and 14 will be medium security female beds. They’ll also add a new safety cell, a new “negative pressure” cell (designed so that a ventilation system generates negative pressure to allow air flow into the isolation room, but not to escape from the room); additional holding tanks; additional classroom space and more. Work to upgrade medical services facilities is vital.

The jail is not expected to ever fill completely up, but there can still be a strain for needed space. They have to have ample room to accommodate different sorts of housing. For instance, gang dropouts need to be housed separately from other inmates. Dangerous felons need to be away from others. Etc.

This project will cost $15 million – the county will receive $9.7 million from the state. It will be a much needed improvement to a vital piece of county infrastructure.