Right now, the TRC is working  for you to find out whether we need a $30 Million jail in Woodbury County. The Board of Supervisors has spent considerable time and money to obtain preliminary designs of a new or expanded county jail.  They realize, however, that even if the voters approve the building of a new jail, the County just doesn’t have the funds to operate it.  TRC’s jail committee is looking into possible alternatives.

TRC's Jail Committee is comprised of several TRC board members, including a CPA, an attorney, an engineer, a telecommunications specialist, a real estate developer, and a banker. They have met many times over the last few months for one-on-one discussions with several local judges, the sheriff, jail staff, the County Attorney, the chair of the County Supervisors and others. Over and over, they have asked tough questions and probed for possible solutions. For example, one recent meeting was a free-form discussion which included three judges, the sheriff, jail staff members, and the TRC Jail Committee. These sorts of dialogues are already showing some very interesting results, and are leading to some ways to save taxpayer's money.

We are still a long way from issuing a formal report, but the work continues. The TRC believes that more dialogue and cooperation within the criminal justice community in Woodbury County will lead to substantial tax savings for everyone in Woodbury County.