Cass County Government: Jail Intake Project A Much Needed Expansion

Fargo ND

30 October, 2021

4:20 AM

Description

Press release from the Cass County Government: October 27, 2021 As the COVID-19 pandemic arrived, Cass County Government in North Dakota made sure the safety of our residents and the safety of our employees took priority over anything else. Decisions were made to prioritize creating safe operating spaces and to address growing concerns with areas where social distancing was a challenge. As the pandemic progressed, Cass County saw opportunities to upgrade facilities that would allow for residents and employees to stay socially distanced while still providing the services and programs that our community needs. Things like masks, hand sanitizer stations and sneeze guards were made readily available and staff that had the ability work remotely were encouraged to do so. We took precautions and adopted a "by appointment only" policy for residents from our community to access the Cass County buildings; this policy worked well, and we were still able to provide the necessary services to our residents while limiting the chance for a COVID-19 exposure for everyone involved. "From the beginning, this was uncharted territory. From jail staff to child protection services to managing an election in a pandemic - sending all employees home to work remotely was not an option," stated Cass County Administrator Robert Wilson. "We had to adapt, be creative and ask our amazing workforce to meet a new level of challenges. And they did." The intake area at the Cass County Jail was one focus of the American Rescue Plan Act funds made available to the county. That area needed more space and additional temporary holding cells to ensure that Cass County Jail employees and inmates had the ability to be socially distanced throughout the booking process. There have been times throughout the pandemic when the number of inmates at the jail has put stress on the space available and put our county employees in difficult positions. The expansion project is effectively doubling our capacity for all things booking related, it will also double the amount of holding cells from 10 to 20 and increase the number of safety cells for suicidal inmates to three (currently one). Employee workspace will also double and add capacity for a second fingerprinting station, second intoxilyzer apparatus, second interview room, and two additional attorney contact visiting rooms. "Expansion of the jail intake area was a necessary project even before the COVID-19 pandemic began. The arrival of COVID-19, and the need to safely separate new arrivals during the medical screening process, elevated this project to a critical need. The use of ARPA funds enabled us to expedite both the planning and construction process, and the completed expansion will improve our ability to safely manage the intake process while also better equipping our team to keep inmates, and each other, safe." Construction on the Jail Intake project began in May of 2021 and will be completed in the Spring/Summer of 2022. Once this project is complete, there will be adequate space to properly handle the growing number of inmates booked into county jail; all while maintaining proper social distance and providing a safe environment for inmates and Cass County employees. This press release was produced by the Cass County Government. The views expressed here are the author's own.