Hennepin County Board delays vote on sheriff’s plan to reduce jail numbers

Hennepin County Sheriff Dawanna Witt was “disappointed” and visibly frustrated Tuesday after the County Board delayed a vote on her plan to reduce the number of prisoners in the jail to comply with a state order.

Witt asked the board Tuesday to approve up to $8 million for agreements with 21 counties to temporarily house inmates from the state’s “busiest jail.” The “joint powers agreements” would allow Witt to send inmates to other counties in the case of emergencies, safety concerns and overcrowding.

“I know I’m the sheriff, but I need your help,” Witt told the board, saying the Hennepin County jail has to comply with new state restrictions that take effect Dec. 5. Otherwise she might have to tell area police chiefs there is no room for new prisoners. “We have to figure it out.”

The Minnesota Department of Corrections ordered Witt to reduce the jail population from about 850 to 600 by Dec. 5, citing violations of staffing levels and regular well-being checks of prisoners. There were 662 inmates in the jail Tuesday evening and 182 in other facilities.

Commissioners were surprised by Witt’s request for $8 million that the sheriff concedes is not in her budget. They also questioned why it hadn’t been sent to them sooner so it could be thoroughly reviewed.

“We just got this today,” said Board Chair Irene Fernando. “We just haven’t had the opportunity to review it with the diligence that $8 million merits.”

Instead, commissioners called a special meeting for Dec. 3 and voted 5-2 to ask staff to come up with other options, including expanding the temporary capacity at the adult corrections facility in Plymouth. They also gave County Administrator David Hough the OK to negotiate deals with three to five nearby counties at a lower cost.

Several commissioners also took issue with Witt’s proposal to possibly send inmates to far away counties to meet the new state capacity rules. Witt has inmate housing deals with five counties and hopes to add 16 more.

Megan Larson, the sheriff’s spokeswoman, said the commissioners’ temporary proposals were not a workable long-term solution. Witt worries failure to comply with the DOC order could jeopardize the jail’s license.

The jail has struggled to hire staff and is down 47 people out of an authorized 297 total positions. Witt has increased recruiting, but faces competition from other jails with similar pay, but less complex jobs.

Bookings at the jail are at a 10-year low, but prisoner stays are up 20% and nearly all the inmates are facing serious felonies. A growing number of prisoners suffer from substance abuse and other serious health problems.

“We don’t control who comes in or when they get released,” Witt said.

The DOC order said understaffing “contributed to conditions that have the potential to pose an imminent risk of life-threatening harm or serious physical injury to individuals confined or incarcerated in the facility.” Seven inmates have died since September 2022 either at the jail or after being transported from the facility to local hospitals.

Witt told commissioners she disputes the DOC’s findings and is planning an administrative appeal. If that fails, the sheriff could also challenge the order in court.

The detention center consists of two buildings, with over 500 beds on the fourth and fifth floors of Minneapolis City Hall and 330 beds in the nearby Hennepin County Public Safety Facility. The order said only 150 inmates can be housed on each floor of city hall with another 300 at the public safety facility.

Last week, Hennepin County agreed to a $3.4 million settlement in a wrongful death case brought by the family of Lucas Bellamy. It alleged Bellamy was left to die in jail despite begging for help during a medical emergency.