Monroe County’s new jail open, filling up fast

Inmates had been housed all over state

Monroe County’s new jail is filling up.

Sheriff Scott Perkins says prisoners were transferred from the old Sparta jail to the new building last week, and now, they’re bringing back dozens of inmates who were sent to other counties to ease crowding in the old facility.

“If there was a county that had some room, we were using them,” Perkins said of the new jail that can hold up to 180 inmates – nearly three times the capacity of the old jail.

Monroe County inmates were not housed in La Crosse, since it has little room to spare.

Along with a new building, comes new technology that will help staff deal with inmates.

“We have a pot system where we actually have visual contact at all times with all the inmates,” Perkins said, also noting the PA system will allow staff to talk directly to inmates, as well,” Perkins said.

Perkins added the county is in the process of hiring more jailers, because the larger lockup requires a larger staff to work in shifts.