A new commission studying conditions at the jail has 180 days to come up with recommended changes to its operations.
Nicole Ludden In early December, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos stood before the Board of Supervisors pleading for help improving jail conditions that he called a “full-blown crisis.”
County Administrator Jan Lesher recommended the formation of the commission to answer the key questions: “How serious is the current problem? And what do we need to do ?” Jail 'literally falling apart'The detention facility has largely been funded by voter-approved bond packages passed in 1997 and 2004. The 1997 funds were used to construct a new maximum-security adult detention facility, the juvenile detention facility and communication tower. The 2004 dollars funded security enhancements. Initial estimates place the construction of a new jail at about $250 to $380 million.
While the new commission will look into the jail’s physical conditions, it’ll also be tasked with reviewing the facility’s operations. After Nanos brought his concerns to the Board of Supervisors in December, the board granted his request to dole out $1.7 million a year to give 7.5% raises to corrections workers. The sheriff said the raises help get people in the door but don't address the ongoing need of retaining staff.
“They’re locked in the little room, and we walk by and peek in a little, tiny window that's about four inches wide and maybe two feet tall. We look in there and see, ‘Yeah, he's there.’ And we walk on by,” Nanos said. “How is that safe and secure?” The sheriff has expressed concerns that the alarming lack of officers overseeing the jail population could lead to further deaths or violent outbreaks.
A 'new' jailDaniel Sharp, who served as Oro Valley’s police chief for 20 years before retiring in 2020, will lead the commission. While he’s heard Nanos’ concerns about the jail, he said he’ll approach leading the commission “with an open mind.”
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