Musick Jail Expansion Plan Approved

The plan to expand the James A. Musick Jail was given the go-ahead on Tuesday by Orange County supervisors. Sheriff Sandra Hutchens was given permission to apply to a California state for a $100 million grant.

The planned expansion is going to add another 512 beds to the Musick Jail. In the past, expansion attempts have been met with lawsuits and protests. Officials from the Sheriff’s Department have assured the county that the jail will only hold minimum security inmates.

There are still many who are critical of the expansion, seeing it as the first step in expanding the jail from a 1,250-bed facility to a 7,500 bed facility over time. Councilman Jeff Lalloway fears that the county has plans to set up a full-scale prison in the middle of the community.

Sheriff’s officials point to the recent realignment as the reason to go ahead with the jail expansion. With state prisoners coming to county jails, room needs to be made. In the first month of the realignment, Orange County received 292 additional inmates.

With this influx of inmates, the Orange County jails could be filled by next year. Sheriff’s officials also worry that the realignment plan will take away from the beds being rented to the federal government for housing illegal immigrants waiting to be deported.

The county will know if they will receive the grant in February 2013. With approval, construction could be completed by 2018.

---