Lee County, IA – Lee County's jail was built along Highway 61, between Fort Madison and Keokuk, more than 25 years ago.
An effort to borrow more than $6,000,000 to expand the facility failed at the polls in 1999.
The issue of expansion has come up again and voters will be asked to allow Lee County to borrow millions for a new project.
Chief Deputy Jim Scholl says the three temporary housing trailers that the county has been using to hold up to 24 inmates for the past ten years could be closed if the jail vote fails.
The renovated semi-trailers were supposed to be replaced after three years.
That has prompted the state to tell Lee County, Put a plan together to replace them or we will take them away from you.
Without the trailers, Lee County would have to pay other counties to house its inmates, which Scholl says would seriously impact local law enforcement.
Scholl says the cost would also hurt Lee County as it would have to pay up to $65 a day, per inmate, to house prisoners outside of its jail.
That's just one of the reasons a special task force was developed to look at the future of the Lee County Jail.
You can hear Public Radio's Jason Parrott's entire report by clicking the audio link above.