Otoe County Orders Jail Needs Assessment

NEBRASKA CITY – The Otoe County Board agreed Tuesday to hire Prochaska and Associates for a jail needs assessment.
County Commissioner James Parsons said the current jail was built in 1988 with the idea that it would require expansion within 20 years. The jail now holds up to 21, but the county has a daily average of 40 inmates.
Otoe County Sheriff Colin Caudill said prisoner transportation is a budget and safety issue.
He said Otoe County has had inmates at five different facilities and has had five deputies conducting transports at the same time.
Caudill: “You’re talking about the liability of doing transports. We’ve had deputies that are transporting two people at one time, sometimes three.”
Board Chairman Jerad Sornson said the assessment also includes future needs of other county offices, such as the county attorney.
He expects the assessment, which will forecast future inmate numbers, to be completed in six months to a year.
Representatives of the Omaha-based architecture firm met with board members in the district courtroom to provide space for social distancing for commissioners and jail staff.