County to Seek $80 Million Grant to Upgrade Smith Jail

Photo via Shutterstock

By City News City

Riverside County supervisors approved an Economic Development Agency request Tuesday to apply for up to $80 million in state grant money to fund improvements to the Smith Correctional Facility in Banning.

The Board of Supervisors’ 5-0 vote authorized the EDA, with the assistance of sheriff’s personnel, to prepare an application seeking funds that the Legislature made available under Senate Bill 863, which was signed into law last year.

SB 863, also known as the Adult Local Criminal Justice Facilities Construction program, makes annual disbursals available to counties for capital improvements in the interest of “managing jail populations.” The state is debt-financing the financial aid via sales of lease-revenue bonds. The Legislature authorized a total $500 million for the program.

Upgrading the roughly 40-year-old Smith Correctional Facility has been on the board’s to-do list for at least the last three years, but there’s been no money for it.

According to the EDA, any state allocation would go toward demolition of an existing jail wing containing 384 inmate beds and rebuilding it to higher standards. According to the agency, the reconstruction would include the addition of a 100-bed infirmary and a terraced “control area” providing better observational capabilities for jail staff.

County officials noted that because Smith lacks medical facilities, inmates housed there must be bused to other parts of the county for evaluation and treatment.

With 1,520 detainee beds, Smith is the county’s largest lockup.