BONNERS FERRY — Boundary County Sheriff’s officials say the aging Boundary County Jail  may need to be replaced as officials say the aging facility has multiple safety and maintenance problems. 

Boundary County Sheriff Travis Stolley said the jail, which opened in 1980, faces multiple security concerns, including its proximity to public roads. 

“People can drive by on the street and just throw something over the fence,” Stolley said. “Getting contraband into the jail is something we’re always concerned about because of the location and proximity to the roads.” 

The jail, which has a capacity of 24 inmates, is sometimes overcrowded. When that happens, gray items are put on the ground with mattresses in them, making it difficult for detention officers to conduct nightly checks on each inmate. The county’s growing population is one reason there are more inmates in the jail, Stolley said. 

In 1980, Boundary County had 7,302 residents, according to U.S. census data. Now, census estimates indicated the population has almost doubled, with the county noting over 14,000 residents.  

The building also has ongoing maintenance issues. Stolley said rapid temperature changes cause condensation to build up, leading to leaks. 

“It’ll literally be dripping through the ceiling,” he said. “It was leaking in the hallway the other day, coming right through a light fixture.” 

Additional problems include at least one nonfunctioning shower, gravel found inside drainpipes, peeling paint, and limited space that makes daily operations a challenge. 

Jail staff members agreed, saying the facility makes their job much harder than it needs to be. 

“There's a lot of safety issues,” one said. 

The jail receives $15,000 annually for maintenance. 

If a new jail were to be built, Stolley said there are two possible funding options. One would be a local option tax, which he said would spread the cost beyond property owners. 

A local option tax is an additional tax that would need to be approved by at least 60% of a vote. According to the city of Bonners Ferry, cities can charge a local option tax in three separate areas; sales tax on all items subject to Idaho Sales Tax, liquor by the drink and bed tax on hotel, motels and short-term occupancy. It is not a property tax. Money collected can only be spent on specific ways, which includes buildings and law enforcement.

"The local option tax, instead of taxing just property owners, it taxes everybody that purchases in Boundary County... so you're catching all the traffic that we get through all summer, people coming through, those people are using our resources,” Stolley said. 

“They're using law enforcement, they're getting into crashes, they're using our medical services.”   

The second option would be a bond, which Stolley said could be put before voters in 2027.  

Stolley said there were two possible locations for a new jail in the event BCSO can secure the funds. One option is near the Boundary County Annex; however, he said that location could increase staffing demands due to the need to transport inmates between the annex and the courthouse each day. 

“The other option is the parking lot in front of the courthouse,” Stolley said. “There are things the commissioners would need to figure out there, as far as infrastructure.”   

Stolley said his goal would be to build a 60-bed jail, a 250% increase over the current capacity. Some of the beds could be used to house Idaho Department of Correction and federal inmates, which could generate revenue for the county.  

“Idaho Department of Corrections, they’re at max capacity,” Stolley said. “There's 1,200- odd prisoners or state convicted inmates waiting to get transported to the Department of Corrections in Idaho county jails right now, and they were contracting with the state of Arizona to take inmates.” 

The gray items stacked on each other can be used as extra beds and during one incident was used to collect liquid leaking from the ceiling.

    A photo of a shower at the Boundary County jail.