DeKALB | “Unacceptable,” is how Sheriff Roger A. Scott of the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office refers to the status of the county jail.

Scott describes a situation in which DeKalb’s “undersized and understaffed” jail has spent over $169,000 this year and more than $114,000 in 2005 to house prisoners in other counties’ jails.

“There are times before we ship [prisoners] out that they build up and we have some sleeping on the floor,” Scott said.

The jail’s poor condition is the motivation behind a series of press releases titled “Jail Fact of the Week,” released by the sheriff. His target audience, though, isn’t city officials or jail keepers.

“[These] are citizens who will be voting for the upcoming safety referendum,” he said.

County Board Chairman Ruth Anne Tobias said the jail, built in 1980, is at the end of its projected 25-year lifespan and is in need of expansion.

Tobias is a member of the Citizens for Public Safety Committee that raises money to pay for yard signs and newspaper advertisements, since the sheriff’s office cannot use tax dollars to promote the referendum. The committee also visits clubs and groups of all sorts to try and inform the public on the situation.

The upcoming proposition to impose a public safety tax, if passed, would imply a half-cent sales tax on anything bought in the county except food, medicine, automobiles and farm equipment.

Michelle Rhynders, treasurer of the Sycamore Chamber of Commerce, said the board considered the subject at several meetings,

“Our board of directors met Tuesday and unanimously voted that the county has proven that they need to expand the jail, but I don’t think it’s been proven to us that increasing the retail tax rate is the way to do that,” Rhynders said.

The subject of the referendum was addressed by Rhynders during the portion of the County Board meeting that welcomes citizens’ comments Wednesday.

Rhynders said she asked the county what other options are available for funding the expansion but has yet to receive an answer.

“[The cost would] average about $3 a person per month, but it would give us about $4 million in revenue to pay off the building bonds and pay for the expanding operating costs,” Tobias said.

The jail’s average prisoner population of 100 has become too much for the jail’s 89 beds.

“Out of those 89, we cannot use them all,” Scott said. “We have a working population of 72 beds.”

The proposed referendum would expand the jail to 235 beds and allow for the hiring of more deputies. The money would also fund programs to reduce recidivism, the rate at which criminals repeat offend and end up back in jail.

Carl Campbell, NIU associate professor of economics, said this is the first county he has observed that tried to raise prison funds in this way.

“This is not all that typical,” said Campbell.

Campbell recalled that a recent referendum to expand the jail failed.

To check out the situation for themselves, citizens can tour the jail, Scott said. The tours begin every Saturday at 3 p.m. and Wednesdays at 10 a.m. until Election Day. Guests should arrive 15 minutes early with identification and no purses or bags.

This week’s “Jail Fact of the Week” states the DeKalb County Jail is responsible for 110 inmates and has to house 23 in other jail facilities. Scott said this costs DeKalb an extra $4 per day per inmate.