New Asotin County Jail draws a crowd

Tours of the new Asotin County Justice Complex proved to be popular with the public Tuesday.

Jail Commander Nate Uhlorn, Commissioner Chuck Whitman and Sheriff John Hilderbrand were among the officials guiding the steady flow of folks through the 144-bed facility along Sixth Avenue in the Clarkston Heights.

“Outside of this tour today, no citizens will ever come up here,” Uhlorn said in the second-story control room.

An exact opening date has not been announced, but Whitman said it should happen sometime next month. Inmates will be moved from the old jail next to the Clarkston Police Department to the Clarkston Heights building when that day arrives.

The commercial kitchen, laundry room and sky lights are improvements that were spotted right away, along with a property room where inmates’ belongings will be vacuum sealed and stored during incarceration.

“If you ever flush a jail toilet, you will notice it’s very powerful,” Uhlorn told a group of visitors. “We call it the ‘Muffin Muncher,’ because it prevents floods when people try to flush clothing or other large items.”

A nurse will be on duty 40 hours a week, and a primary care provider is scheduled to visit once a week. There is a special room for inmates to attend court hearings via a video link, and an area where they can speak privately with their attorneys.

In the booking room, a body scanner will be used to detect drugs and weapons. “It’s a lot more powerful than airport scanners,” Uhlorn said.

A padded cell will be available for inmates going through a mental health crisis, and special holding cells equipped for people in wheelchairs are part of the $20 million project, which was funded by a designated sales tax.

The new jail has been on the radar of county officials and law enforcement for years. It was approved by voters in 2019, but didn’t get going until after the pandemic was winding down.

Uhlorn said staffing continues to be an issue. The jail currently has 17 corrections officers — more than ever before — but 21 are needed to staff the larger facility at full capacity.

“Nobody wants to be a corrections officer right now,” Uhlorn told one of the groups touring the facility Tuesday. “Across the country, it’s a problem. I don’t think anyone wants to be in law enforcement as much as they used to.”

The solution could be a soft launch while four potential hires complete the background phase and training. Once the minimum threshold of officers is met, the jail can hold up to 144 inmates.

At a bed rate of $225 per day, Asotin County plans to house inmates from neighboring counties and the state Department of Corrections. Misdemeanor arrests will no longer be a “book-and-release” situation when the jail is fully functional, officials said.

The jail trustees will have their own bunk room and be allowed to work in the kitchen and laundry area, Uhlorn said. Trustee status is based on criminal history and behavior.

Daily headlines, straight to your inboxRead it online first and stay up-to-date, delivered daily at 7 AM

“Being a trustee is a benefit, especially in the kitchen,” the jail commander said. “They can also earn time off for good behavior. The trustees are housed separately so they can’t be (bribed) for extra cookies.”

Televisions will be provided for inmates, which is different from the old jail. The commander said TVs help keep prisoners occupied and can be used as a reward.

“Super Bowl Sunday will probably be the best behavior we’ve ever seen,” Uhlorn said.

The female unit will house up to 23 women, which is a significant increase from the Clarkston jail. Uhlorn said females are the largest growing inmate population across the nation.

“About time we caught them,” joked one of the men taking the tour.

As people stepped inside cells and asked questions, Clarkston resident Steven Lee told the Lewiston Tribune that he’s impressed with the new justice center.

“It’s very well designed,” he said. “It’s good to see our sales tax dollars at work.”

On the other hand, Jim Sargeant, of Clarkston, listed several potential problems as he toured the building. Operation costs, lack of staffing, cracks in the concrete, a nearby mosquito pond and a diesel tank were among his concerns.

“They told me it would take $20 million to build this, but I’m not convinced,” Sargeant said. “I want to know how much it will cost to operate it.”

The designated sales tax will cover operation and maintenance, officials said.

The original price to build the jail was $13.75 million, but the COVID-19 pandemic and other delays increased the cost, Whitman has said previously. Adding a kitchen and extra beds offset some of the frustrations leading up to the completion.

An outdoor recreation area, maximum security cells and a control room with floor-to-ceiling views of the pods were included in the tours. Small groups of people were escorted through the building over a four-hour time span, and retirees and younger residents seemed eager to explore.

Many of the jail’s bells and whistles drew compliments from the crowd. A high-tech lighting system that automatically adjusts was especially popular in a morning group.

“It’s a little more fancy than the Clapper,” quipped Kim Uhlorn, mother of the commander.