Ideas circling on how to fund a new county jail

ZANESVILLE, Ohio – The County Commissioners and both Muskingum and Guernsey County Sheriff’s Office met with an investment firm today to get ideas on building a joint county jail.  

As of this morning, the Muskingum County Sheriff’s Office had almost 250 inmates, surpassing the recommended amount set from the state of 171. That’s where the idea of having a new jail comes into play. Guernsey and Muskingum County Sheriff’s Offices are in the process of trying to find the funds for a new joint county jail.

Sheriff Matt Lutz said, “when you start talking about new jails, you always get the feedback of why are going to build something new for inmates. So it’s not about the newness, it’s about building a place where we have to put people that judges feel don’t belong on the streets.”

Sheriff Lutz said when the tax levy failed, the County Commissioners began looking at other ways to fund building a new jail. Sheriff Lutz said when you get overcrowding in a jail, you’re looking at a lot of different problems.

“Our number one goal is to make Muskingum County as safe as we can – to live, work, and raise a family and that’s what we’re trying to do,” said Sheriff Lutz. “We’re trying to do it as economically as possible, but yet these things aren’t cheap to do.”

Sheriff Lutz said the issue is not going away. The County Commissioners are trying to entertain all kinds of different ideas on how to deal with that issue. The projected date set for the new building, if the funds become available, won’t be for another two and a half years.