Hunter
11/15/24
Water damage caused by an inmate earlier this week has led Johnson County Sheriff Brad Kunkel to renew his efforts to replace the Jail.
During his recent monthly appearances on KCJJ, the sheriff has described the problems he, his staff, and other workers in the aging building have suffered over the years. He says workers continually have to move their desks out of the way of leaky ceilings, with sensitive evidence and records constantly in peril of being damaged or destroyed. On top of that, workers deal with rain and sewage water in their workspace.
The jail doesn’t have enough space for its current population, so the county pays other counties to house their inmates. Sheriff Kunkel told KCRG TV this week the cost runs into the thousands of dollars yearly. And as the county spends tax dollars to fix old problems, more keep appearing.
Johnson County Board of Supervisors Chair Rod Sullivan has called the building is a safety risk, and a new building is the long-term solution.
Supervisor Royceann Porter said a new jail would be worth the investment.
Sullivan says he wants to put a new bond issue up for a vote by the 2026 election. It would be the first bond referendum since the last ones failed in 2012 and 2013.