The new Indio jail being built by Riverside County will open at some point. Well, at least we’re told.
The Press Enterprise looked into just what is going on with construction of the jail (it’s well done and you really should have a read of it here) and, it turns out, not only will the 1,626 bed facility not be opening until Spring of 2019 (what a bummer for those hoping to look up at a building full of prisoners while watching the demolition derby at the Date Fest in February), but the jail is also now costing at least $10 million more than originally planned due mostly to what the county says is a change in they way they are paying for insurance.
The jail, which is now 400 days behind schedule, will eventually open in phases with phase one seeing 388 beds, or just 35 more than the current Indio jail. As the newspaper notes, the county lacks the funds to properly screen, train, and hire enough employees to oversee every cell.
The jail is the most expensive public project in the history of Riverside County.
