New Wood County Jail on Schedule and on Budget; On Track to Finish by October

Tuesday, July 23rd, 2024 -- 8:00 AM

(Karen Madden, USA TODAY NETWORK - Wisconsin) It's been about 1 ⅟₂ years since Wood County broke ground on the new Wood County Sheriff's Office and Jail in October 2022, and the approximately $98 million project is still on time and on budget, according to officials.

According to Karen Madden with USA TODAY NETWORK - Wisconsin, construction of the new county building is on track to be finished in October, Wood County Sheriff Shawn Becker said.

The county will then need to go through a jail certification process with the state and give county employees a chance to train in the new facility. Wood County Jail Administrator Capt. Theodore Ashbeck said he has finished writing the procedures for the new jail and has had them approved by the state.

He hopes to be able to get his staff in the new building for training soon after construction is finished in October. They anticipate opening the new jail in early 2025. The current jail holds 132 inmates.

The new jail will hold 315 inmates, Ashbeck said. The county has been keeping about 100 or more inmates in other jails for more than a decade, Wood County Chairman Lance Pliml said.

The opening of the new jail in early 2025 means all Wood County inmates can stay in the county and can take advantage of new programming that the new, larger jail will be able to offer, Pliml said.

Wood County currently pays $86,588 monthly or $1.04 million annually to house inmates in other counties. With transportation costs, it comes to about $1.3 million, Wood County Chief Deputy Quentin Ellis said.

The number has been higher in previous years when the county had more contracted beds. Once the new jail opens, the county will need an additional eight employees, Becker said.

Feel free to contact us with questions and/or comments.