SLO County breaks ground on new jail

By April Charlton/acharlton@theadobepress.com Email this story Print this story

Sheriff Ian Parkinson, center, talks with dignitaries during the San Luis Obispo County womens jail groundbreaking at the SLO County Sheriffs Department last Friday . //Phil Klein/Contributor

For the last three years, San Luis Obispo County Sheriff Ian Parkinson has been questioning when the long-awaited womens jail expansion project was going to break ground.

Parkinsons query was answered Friday, Feb. 7, as he and other local officials donned hard hats and dug golden shovels into the dirt outside the County Jail complex, officially breaking ground for a new womens jail facility.

Its been a long three years, Parkinson told a crowd of about 50 people that attended the groundbreaking ceremony. Its not about the building. Its really about the ability to program and change behavior.

The planned expansion includes construction of a brand-new 38,000-square-foot,

198-bed womens housing unit that will also have space for treatment programs aimed at helping reduce the recidivism rate of inmates.

Research indicates those inmates that participate in rehabilitative programs, such as substance abuse treatment and job-training programs, while incarcerated are less likely to become repeat offenders when they re-enter society.

Female inmates at County Jail dont receive one-on-one

counseling, and treatment varies at the aging facility because of overcrowding. Areas at the jail that could be used for individual counseling are used to house inmates.

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SLO County breaks ground on new jail