Dodge County Sherriff Looking At Closing Old Jail

9/1/17 – The Dodge County Sheriff is looking at possibly closing the old jailhouse. Built in the 1950’s and located in Juneau, Dale Schmidt says there are too many problems with the structure to keep it operating. Issues stemming from maintenance costs, jail code problems, heating and air conditioning, video equipment, and doors. Schmidt says it would cost millions of dollars to pay for the fixes. He says at some point the county board must decide on whether to close the building and potentially expand the current jail. He told us recently on WBEV’s Community Comment that there is one drawback if the old jail is not replaced. Schmidt says the county would lose about $3-million in revenue a year generated through immigration and custom holds and U.S. Marshals prisoners. The Sheriff’s Office will present their proposal to the board at their September 19 meeting. Schmidt says there is no definitive timeline set as of right now.