State Votes To Award Jail Money

By B.J. Hansen Published Jan 17, 2014 08:10 am Updated Feb 26, 2014 04:31 pm

Sonora, CA — Yesterday the Board of State and Community Corrections formally voted to award Tuolumne County $20 million towards a new jail facility.

We reported last month that a committee had recommended that Tuolumne County’s project receive money, and the official vote was taken at a meeting yesterday. 36 counties requested money for jail projects, and Tuolumne County was one of 15 approved.

The Corrections Board indicated that projects that are considered “shovel ready” were weighted more heavily than others. Tuolumne County already has the infrastructure in place off Old Wards Ferry Road for the jail. The total cost of the project is estimated to be $36 million, so the grant will cover over half of the construction.

The county hopes to hear by around March whether unused AB 900 Jail money will also be available for county jail projects. If so, local leaders have stated they believe Tuolumne County could be a front-runner for the unused money. If the second grant money does not materialize, the county would need to approve other ways to cover the remaining costs.