Stearns County Discusses Possible New Law Enforcement Facility

(KNSI) – Stearns County officials all agree a new jail, sheriff’s office, and court facilities are needed meet future housing projections.

The county ordered a jail study in March of 2021, which was recently completed and discussed by county commissioners for the first time on Tuesday.

County Administrator Dr. Michael Williams told KNSI News the study gave some people sticker shock when it showed new facilities could cost between $230 and $320 million. “So it’s a huge cost, which, of course, is of great concern to all of us. And so you, as you’re here today, they’re hoping to find ways to either phase this in, hold off some of the costs, find ways for cost reductions.”

Officials will ask the Minnesota Legislature for permission to go to voters for a sales tax referendum of a quarter to three-eighths of a percent to be collected over 30 years to pay for the facility. The county could also use property tax money to cover the cost.

Williams says there’s more data to go over, including a design phase with plans to build sometime in the future, probably in 2025 or later. “We just need to determine kind of what the scope is going to be. And then we can get into really, what are we going to build? How can we do it more cost-effective? Those kinds of questions.”

Sheriff Steve Soyka says jails aren’t normal buildings and must be measured in dog years. “For every year that a jail is open, it’s the equivalent of four years for normal facilities,” he explains. The Minnesota Department of Corrections recommends counties replace their jails every 25 years. The building they’re using now opened in 1987. Soyka adds, “so you’re talking about a pretty old facility. And the reason for that is that we’re always there, there’s always inmates in there, the doors are always going up and down. There’s always bookings occurring 24 hours a day.”

County Attorney Janelle Kendall told KNSI News the people behind bars need to be there. The vast majority of people in jail are accused of serious crimes and are going through the court system. “Everyone who is in the jail is the people that we’re afraid of, not the people were angry with. Over the last 20 years, we’ve looked at literally how we use our jail and make sure it’s the people that need to be there, that we can’t rehabilitate them any other way.”

She said whatever plan the commissioners go with, she wants the jail and courthouse connected. She says a recent DOC ruling requires those accused of crimes to appear before a judge eliminating most pandemic-era virtual hearings.

The study shows Steans County will need 270 beds and 13 courtrooms by 2040. The county has space for 150 inmates and ten judges today. The big debate for commissioners will be if the facility should remain in downtown St. Cloud or be moved outside city limits.

To read the study, click here.

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