Why was the Jail Closed?
The Latah County Jail was built in 1973 and has seen little modernization over its 50 years of operation. Recent inspections by the Idaho Sheriffs’ Association and the Moscow Volunteer Fire Department identified serious concerns and urgent life-safety issues.
Key concerns included:
Missing fire sprinkler coverage in multiple cells and the sally port
Failing or outdated fire detection system requiring full replacement
Emergency lighting not functioning reliably, compromising safety during emergency evacuations
Plumbing system with persistent leaks and obsolete pipes that repeatedly fail; narrow and inaccessible plumbing chases make maintenance difficult
Undersized cells that do not meet minimum square footage required by Idaho Jail Standards (two cells are smaller than required)
Current Impacts
With no local facility able to house inmates overnight, Latah County now transports inmates to Nez Perce County. This has created several financial and operational impacts for taxpayers, deputies, and the court system.
Latah County pays $127 per inmate per day to Nez Perce County—$11 higher than the $116 per-day cost to house inmates locally before the closure
The total budgeted cost for 2026 is projected at $1,036,000
The County pays the full daily rate to Nez Perce County even if an inmate is held for less than a day before release
Since the Jail closed, Sheriff’s deputies often spend 4–8 hours each day transporting inmates; City of Moscow police also provide transport in the evenings and on weekends, which may affect emergency response times
Families, attorneys, and treatment service providers face challenges accessing inmates in another county
An Inside Look
Jail Challenges and Conditions
- Missing sprinklers in four cells and the sally port
- Outdated fire detection and suppression systems requiring full replacement and potential system upgrades
- Emergency lighting failures and electrical hazards, including inadequate wiring and a control panel that overheats, becoming extremely hot and creating a safety concern
- Pipes leaking throughout the facility with calcium deposits and evidence of significant deterioration
- Showers and plumbing fixtures regularly leak; access to water controls is inside plumbing chases, which are narrow, making it difficult to access and do work
- One plumbing chase is inside an inmate dayroom, requiring inmates to be confined to cells if work must be done
- Plumbing lines embedded in concrete, making repairs impossible without major demolition
- Kitchen exhaust and grease duct system that cannot be cleaned, creating a fire hazard
- Cell doors as narrow as 24 inches, which is not ADA compliant and jeopardizes safe emergency egress
- Some cells undersized according to current Idaho Jail Standards
- Poor visibility, blind spots, and outdated security technology that limit officers' ability to safely supervise inmates, creating safety risks for officers and inmates
- Courthouse basement location, which creates maintenance challenges and limits potential improvements and future growth
- Rooms must be used for several purposes, including for needs they are not intended for, creating operational and safety challenges
- Inadequate and/or limited space for the following areas/needs: booking and intake, medical, attorney meetings, administration