The Latah County Jail was built in 1973 and has remained relatively unchanged over its 50 years, with no major upgrades or expansions. In 2015 the County made some minor ADA renovations to accommodate wheelchairs and create an ADA cell. 

The Jail was originally built as a 50-bed facility; however, due to updated standards, the current operational capacity is 36 beds.

The jail is no longer being used to house inmates overnight. It is currently being used for short-term holding, booking, and court-related purposes. Individuals who need to be housed overnight are currently transported to another facility, including the Nez Perce County Jail. 

The County stopped housing inmates overnight because of significant safety, code, accessibility, operational, and liability concerns with the current facility. These include fire safety concerns, electrical hazards, plumbing failures, limited visibility for staff, outdated security systems, inadequate separation areas for high-risk inmates, and ADA compliance issues.

Yes. According to Idaho law, counties are responsible for providing jail services. 

A jail houses inmates overnight while they await trial or serve short-term sentences and provides services such as food, clothing, bedding, and medical care.  

The Idaho Sheriff’s Association (ISA) publishes a list of jail standards for Idaho jails and conducts annual inspections of County jails. Alignment with the standards and the annual inspections are voluntary; however, the inspections are meant to help identify deficiencies and issues to help counties meet constitutional requirements and minimize the likelihood of litigation. According to the ISA’s website, “The inspection process has been valuable in pointing out training needs, physical plant deficits and reducing litigation by maintaining a proactive stance in providing constitutional treatment of inmates.” The ISA’s 328 mandatory and recommended jail standards can be found here: https://www.idahosheriffs.org/wp-content/uploads/filr/2098/IDAHO%20JAIL%20STANDARDS%20APRIL%202024%20MASTER.pdf

Continuing to use the current facility as an overnight jail would expose staff, inmates, the public, and the County to unacceptable safety and liability risks. The concerns are not limited to normal building wear and tear; they include issues that affect emergency response, access, monitoring, ADA compliance, plumbing, fire systems, electrical systems, and the safe management of high-risk inmates. 

The Americans with Disabilities Act is a federal requirement. The current facility has physical limitations that make compliance difficult, including narrow hallways and cell entries and cell doors that may not accommodate wheelchairs or other mobility needs. ADA compliance is not optional, and failure to address accessibility can create legal and operational risks.

The current jail layout creates safety challenges for sheriff staff, including blind spots, limited cell access, space constraints, outdated security features, and difficulty separating multiple high-risk inmates. These conditions can make it harder for staff to monitor inmates, respond quickly to incidents, and maintain a safe environment.

Jails are responsible for the safety and basic care of people in custody. The current facility’s age, layout, surveillance limitations, ADA issues, plumbing problems, and lack of adequate separation areas can create risks for inmates, especially those with medical needs, disabilities, mental health challenges, or other high-risk factors. If there is an incident or if basic care is not adequately provided, the County could face litigation.

Individuals may be booked or held temporarily at the Latah County facility, depending on the time and circumstances. Individuals who need to be housed overnight are transported to the Nez Perce County Jail. 

Idaho counties are responsible for providing jail services. A jail houses inmates overnight while they await trial or serve short-term sentences and provides services such as food, clothing, bedding, and medical care. City of Moscow police facilities do not house inmates. 

Transporting inmates creates several challenges. Deputies and officers spend time driving to and from another county instead of being available for local needs. Transportation also increases fuel, vehicle, staffing, overtime, and logistical costs. It can affect court scheduling, attorney access, family access, treatment services, release planning, and emergency response availability. While the Latah County Sheriff’s Office is responsible for transportation during the day, the Moscow Police Department has to take time to transport inmates to Nez Perce in the evenings and on weekends. 

In fiscal year 2025, it cost approximately $116 per day to house an inmate in the Latah County Jail. Latah County is currently paying $127 per inmate, per day to house inmates in Nez Perce County. The County is charged the full daily rate even if an inmate is held there for only part of a day.

That is one of the questions the County is evaluating. Contracting with another county may avoid the upfront cost of construction, but it also creates ongoing housing, transportation, staffing, vehicle, scheduling, and public safety impacts. A complete comparison must include both direct costs and indirect costs, such as officer time, overtime, vehicle wear, court transport, attorney access, release logistics, and long-term availability of jail beds. 

Housing inmates in another county impacts attorney and family access and treatment services. In addition, local control is affected; even though the inmates are housed at a different Jail, they are still under Latah County’s jurisdiction. Using another county’s jail also leaves uncertainty—if Nez Perce County decides to end the agreement, Latah County will have to find another county or solution.

Renovating the jail is an option. The County has conducted an initial analysis of this option, and there are several factors to consider. Because of the jail’s age, condition, and location in the basement of the courthouse, renovating it would be expensive and may only extend the facility’s useful life for a limited period. Repairing and replacing the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems, as well as the fire detection and suppression systems, may extend beyond the jail and affect the Courthouse. Modern requirements for safety, ADA accessibility, security systems, and cell space cannot be met and maintained within the current jail layout in the County Courthouse basement.

Any partial reopening would need to address life safety, staffing, liability, accessibility, and inspection requirements. Addressing these issues for just part of the jail would still likely be expensive and likely not cost efficient. Reopening part of the jail would also mean paying to run part of the jail while also paying to house inmates at another jail.  

Yes. Building a new facility is one of the options under consideration. A new facility could be designed to meet current jail standards, improve staff and inmate safety, address ADA requirements, reduce transportation impacts, and provide a longer-term solution than renovating the current basement facility. No final decision has been made.

A regional facility or partnership with nearby counties is another option. A regional approach could potentially share costs and resources. It would also require agreement on location, governance, funding, operations, bed availability, transportation, and long-term responsibilities. Having a regional facility outside of Latah County would continue to affect attorney and family access and treatment services and give up some local control. 

The County has not yet chosen a location for a new facility. More information will be provided here when updates become available. 

The County is still evaluating the optimal size for a new jail, if the County decides to pursue a new facility. A new facility would need to consider growth, while also not being significantly larger than the County currently needs. If the County decides to build a new jail, leadership aims to build a jail facility that can be easily expanded in the future.

The County is still working on estimates for a potential new facility. More information will be provided here when updates become available. 

There are a few funding options, including grants, general obligation (G.O.) bonds, and leases. Grants may help fund a portion of the project but are highly unlikely to pay for the entire project. A G.O. bond is subject to 2/3 voter approval. A lease option would rely on County current revenues to make payments. The County currently doesn’t have excess revenue available to cover lease payments. The County could use cash savings, although the County doesn’t have adequate cash savings to cover the cost of a new jail.  

As a new jail or a renovation of the existing facility would likely require a general obligation bond, which is paid using property taxes, the project would likely increase property taxes. The County understands that property tax impact is one of the public’s biggest concerns. Before asking voters to consider any funding proposal, the County would provide clear information about the estimated cost, financing method, repayment period, and estimated impact on taxpayers. 

Understanding the impacts of property tax increases, the County is reviewing other available funding tools. A local option tax for County Jails is not currently allowed under Idaho law. While there has been discussion in the legislature about allowing Counties to use a local option tax for jails, there is no way to know how long it would take to get a law passed, and there is no guarantee it will get passed. If a law was passed and it became an allowable option, the County could then pursue the implementation of a local option tax, which would require voter approval.  

While the County can rent extra beds to house State inmates, this would not be adequate to raise funds or pay for a new jail. The amount paid to the County to house state inmates only covers the cost to house those inmates and would not be an adequate source of funding. The State pays Counties $80 per inmate per day, which is significantly lower than Latah County’s daily average cost to house an inmate ($116). Thus, housing State inmates would not earn the County any additional revenue to go towards bond payments and costs the County money. 

The operating cost for a new jail will depend on the size of the new jail, which the County has not yet decided, so the cost is not yet known. Any additional operating costs will need to come from the existing County budget. 

When the City of Moscow Police Department makes arrests in the evenings and on weekends, they are responsible for transporting the inmate to the Nez Perce County Jail, which requires time and money.

Housing inmates outside Latah County can create additional burdens for court appearances, attorney visits, family visits, treatment access, and release planning. People released from an out-of-county facility may also need transportation back to Latah County. 

Long-term jail planning should include consideration of alternatives where appropriate and legally allowed. Alternatives do not eliminate the County’s responsibility to provide secure detention for individuals who must be held. A larger, more modern jail will allow the Jail to offer more programs and opportunities for inmates and better care for inmates with various needs. The County currently offers alternative programs through Adult Misdemeanor Probation.

The County recognizes that residents face many competing public needs and that any major facility project must be weighed carefully. Jail services are a core public safety and justice system responsibility of county government. The County’s goal is to evaluate the jail issue responsibly while also respecting taxpayer concerns and other community priorities.

No. The County is still evaluating options and gathering information. No final decision has been made regarding whether to renovate, build new, pursue a regional partnership, continue contracting with another county, or use a combination of approaches. 

Residents can stay informed by visiting the County’s jail project webpage, attending public meetings, reviewing posted documents and reports, submitting comments, and participating in future community engagement opportunities. 

If you have any questions, please reach out to Sheriff Richie Skiles (rskiles@latahcountyid.gov) or Chief Deputy Tim Besst (208-882-2216, tbesst@latahcountyid.gov).