Whether people are arrested in Ashland or Butte Falls, they'll be booked into the same lockup: the Jackson County Jail. The jail in Medford was built at a time when the county population, and the number of annual arrests, was much lower.
Overcrowding and court-imposed caps require some inmates awaiting trial to be released even if they have not paid bail.
Sheriff Nathan Sickler is taking steps to get a newer jail with greater capacity built. District Attorney Beth Heckert has a major stake in the project. It won't be cheap, with initial cost estimates of $100 Million to build the new jail.The sheriff and D.A. visit the studio to lay out details of the new project.