Deschutes County commissioners on Wednesday reversed course on how to house adult and juvenile inmates, deciding to move forward with a 144-bed expansion of the Deschutes County jail.

Commissioners asked staff to figure out just how the county will pay for the estimated $10.9 million expansion, and also agreed to look for efficiencies and possible cuts in the cost to operate the juvenile detention center in the coming budget process.

Deschutes County Sheriff Larry Blanton originally proposed the $10.9 million expansion of the adult jail on U.S. Highway 20 at the north end of Bend in early 2012, but commissioners rejected the plan in September. Instead, commissioners planned to repurpose the nearby juvenile justice center on Northwest Britta Street to house adult inmates and remodel the sheriff’s work release facility next door to house the youth offenders.

But when commissioners learned Wednesday that remodeling the work center would likely cost between $2.9 million and $3.8 million and would not increase capacity for young offenders, they took a second look at expanding the county jail.

“That’s about three times what I was expecting,” Commissioner Tony DeBone said.

Commissioner Tammy Baney said she thought it would be irresponsible to revamp the work center without expanding capacity for juvenile offenders, but noted the current juvenile facility is “woefully underutilized.”

So she proposed that expanding the jail be tied to a commitment to cut costs in the oversized juvenile facility on West Britta Street, likely through cutting down the number of areas of the building being used by juvenile detention, and leasing unused areas.

“I’m in strong support of the motion on the table to add on to the existing facility,” Blanton said. “This will help us hold down staffing and supervisory costs.”

Deschutes County District Attorney Patrick Flaherty said adding onto the jail will also allow the work center to be used as it was intended, something Flaherty said will help as the state tries to implement prison reform.

“I think this is unquestionably the best option,” Flaherty said.

County administration will now begin to create what Baney called “a funding package” that would allow the county to expand the jail.

“This would give us 144 beds, plus we could use the work center for what it was initially designed for,” Blanton said. “This will serve this community for many years to come.”

In 2010, voters rejected a $44 million bond that would have doubled the size of the county jail. When Blanton approached the commission last year about the smaller expansion, the parties agreed the addition would not cost taxpayers more money. Instead, they planned to sell bonds and repay the debt with money from the sheriff’s budget and the county general fund.

Dollars and jail plans

$44 million

A bond that would have doubled the size of the jail. Rejected by voters in 2010.

$2.9 million to $3.8 million

Cost to remodel a sheriff’s work release facility to house juvenile offenders so the current juvenile facility could be used for adults. County commissioners decided against it.

$10.9 million

Cost to expand the county jail by 144 beds. Originally proposed in early 2012 but rejected by county commissioners. They decided to move forward with this plan Wednesday.