COEUR d’ALENE — Because of overcrowding in the Kootenai County jail, the sheriff’s office has requested that area law enforcement agencies “use discretion” when making arrests for misdemeanor offenses, the agency confirmed Wednesday. 

“We’re asking agencies to use discretion when making arrests,” said Capt. Jeremy Hyle. “If it’s something (police) can cite and release, rather than bring them to jail, it helps a little bit with overcapacity of the jail.” 

The jail has 451 beds. When fully staffed, the jail’s functional capacity is around 360, about 80% of its total capacity. Operating at functional capacity gives jail staff room to separate certain inmates or move incarcerated people if a cell is damaged. 

The jail’s population fluctuates, Hyle said, but it’s been running high for the past month, with a peak of 517 inmates. A total of 483 people were held in the jail Wednesday, according to the sheriff’s office, well above capacity. 

Hyle said a major factor contributing to overcrowding at the jail is the number of inmates who are awaiting transport to prison after receiving their sentences. The state picks up 10 to 20 prisoners from the Kootenai County jail each week, while more people are sentenced weekly. 

“We’re having a problem with the state not taking their inmates,” Hyle said. “This is a statewide issue.” 

For example, one man who received a seven-year prison sentence in May for aggravated assault remains in the county jail, according to public records. 

Hyle said the sheriff’s office is working with the Idaho Department of Correction to increase the number of inmates who are transported from jail to prison on a weekly basis. The agency is also exploring the possibility of housing inmates who have received prison sentences in jails in other counties while they await transport. 

The completion of two dormitory pods will increase the jail’s capacity by 119 beds and is expected to relieve some of the overcrowding, Hyle said. 

The dormitory pod project has been in the works for years. The “shells” of these pods were built during the last jail expansion in 2018 but have remained unfinished. Construction is underway and the pods are expected to be complete in March 2026. 

When construction is finished, the jail will have 570 beds and a functional capacity of 456 inmates. 

“That will help ease the pressure quite a bit,” Hyle said.