Washoe County

Community Project Funding/congressionally Directed Spending - Construction - the Washoe County Detention Center Was Built in 1987 for a Population of 859. Nineteen of These Bed Spaces Were for Inmates With Medical Needs That Needed to Be Housed in the Infirmary. Since Then, There Have Been Expansions of Housing Capacity to 1364 With an Average Daily Population of 1167 But There Has Been No Expansion to the Infirmary. Our Current Population Is Comprised Largely of Vulnerable and Marginalized Communities. Twenty-eight Percent of Inmates Receive Mental Health Medications Daily; 79 Times a Month an Inmate Is Placed on Suicide Watch. Our Current Infirmary Is Not Sized or Equipped to Sufficiently Meet the Growth in Population for the Region or the Medical Needs This Population Needs. Many Suicide Watch or Close Observation Inmates Are Housed in Parts of the Jail That Do Not Have the Staffing or Engineering Controls to Provide the Best Level of Care for These Patients. Recognizing These Issues, the Detention Center Is in Desperate Need of an Expansion and Modernization. These Needs Have Been Identified Through Planning Efforts and the Necessary Infirmary Expansion Was Identified as the Highest Priority in the 2017-2037 Facility Plan. These Planning Efforts Have Been Confirmed With Recent Data Identifying an Expected 36% Increase in Average Daily Population and Projected Growth for the Reno/sparks Area in the Next Few Years. by 2030, the Population for the Region That This Jail Serves Are Projected to Be 590,490 People, a 27% Increase. These Numbers Indicate a Significant and Growing Number of Mental Health Issues Within the Population, Requiring Additional Planning and Preliminary Design to Successfully Address. Approval of This Request Will Create the Opportunity to Update the Plan, Initiate Programming Leading to the Development of a Preliminary Design to Address These Growing Needs Within the Washoe County Detention Facility. These Efforts Are a Crucial First Step to Meet the Sheriff's Obligations to Provide a Safe and Secure Community as Our Region Continues to Grow.