Jail overflowing with inmates following Fourth of July

The Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office reports hitting another high inmate population at the Jail on July 5. The morning report showed a total of 457 inmates in custody, 130 more than the capacity of the current jail, according to a news releae. Nearly 78 percent of all inmates were in custody on one or more felony charges.

The Kootenai County Jail is currently designed to house a maximum number of 327 inmates. Work is underway to do an addition to the jail. Kootenai County Commissioners have approved the expansion for 114 beds to be finished with space available to complete an additional 108 beds.

Currently, Kootenai County ships inmates out to four other counties at an approximate minimum cost of $60.00 / day per inmate. The report Wednesday showed 77 inmates housed out of county.