Nearly a year after a March referendum for a new expansion failed, DeKalb County Jail continues to experience overcrowding issues.

The overcrowding has led to safety concerns for officers and inmates, with an increase in the likelihood of fights and unhappy individuals, DeKalb County Sheriff Roger Scott said.

As a temporary solution, the jail, 150 N. Main St. in Sycamore, has been housing an average of eight to 10 inmates in Boone and Ogle County jails since last October, he said.

The housing cost of each of the inmates averages $50 per day, not including transportation, medical or other additional costs, Scott said.

The population in the jail, which has a functional capacity of about 72 inmates, has reached into the 90s, which in turn requires outsourcing to other jails, he said.

As an alternative, some prisoners are electronically monitored at home. Between 20 and 30 people at any given time are home-monitored for offenses ranging from forgery to reckless homicide, Scott said.

Scott said the jail also is dealing with other physical problems, such as adding a new roof and updating doors and electronics before the integrity of the building becomes questionable.

Drug courts like those in Kane and Winnebago counties have also proved to be effective in dealing with chronic drug offenders, said county board member Steve Slack (D-Sycamore).

The program involves sentencing offenders to mandatory rehabilitation instead of jail time.

Most people in jail are there because of crimes stemming from drug use and usually are repeat offenders, Slack said.

“That’s costing the taxpayer an enormous amount of money and stuffing our jails full of people that aren’t getting any better in jail,” Slack said.

The county currently is attempting to get a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice to fund a drug court program, Slack said. If successful, the grant could provide up to $500,000 in funding.

Slack said he was not sure if the funds would be released but said the Bush administration has been known for showing support for drug court initiation.

The drug courts help keep jail populations down while reintegrating people into society, Slack said.

“It’s tough love, but it works,” Slack said. “Once the cycle is broken, it pretty much stays broken.”

Such solutions have become increasingly popular as DeKalb officials review other factors, such as population growth, that can worsen the overcrowding.

The problem will worsen as the county’s population increases, said DeKalb County board member Jeff Metzger (R-Sandwich).

Metzger said the referendum may have failed because of concerns over the tax increase and the economy, as similar referendums on the ballot statewide also failed.

Outsourcing inmates will be more expensive in the long term since the jail will continue to become more overcrowded, Metzger said.