KEWAUNEE COUNTY, WI (WTAQ) – A professional consultant is being sought after to determine if a county public safety facility needs an upgrade.
The Kewaunee County Public Safety Facility, originally opened in 1968, is housing inmates beyond capacity.
The facility opened with a capacity of 22 inmates, but as of 2018, their average daily population is 42.
Kewaunee County Board of Supervisors Chairman Robert Weidner says facility employees are the ones being affected.
“It’s kind of crowded in there and we’re up to capacity,” he explains. “Our jailors have to deal with sort-of inconvenient conditions.”
The facility isn’t breaking any laws, but changes have been recommended.
“We never had a violation, but we’ve had cautions that we should improve some things,” he says.
The recognition of a problem isn’t anything new.
“Back in 1998 and 1999 there was an effort at that time to replace the jail and build a new facility, but that failed,” Weidner explains.
The current facility isn’t able to sustain the sheer number of inmates that pass through their building.
“When we exceed our capacity we send some to Door County and other counties to take care of the overflow,” says Weidner.
The county will spend the next month searching for a professional consultant to determine the best course of action going forward.
If their study indicates that some change would be best, then the county will move forward addressing a possible schematic design for a new or improved public safety facility.
