Gazette File photo The Houghton County Jail is not ADA compliant in several regards, including the lack of a ramp from the street to the front door of the facility.

HOUGHTON – The Jail Committee and its progress were a subject of discussion at the Houghton County Board of Commissioner’s Work Session on Monday morning.

Faith Morrison, advocate for addressing the Houghton County Jail, told the commissioners she believes the Jail Committee members think a different set of expertise is needed to take over now in terms of figuring out exactly what square footage is needed for the jail.

Morrison said currently there is no consensus on a proposed number of cells, because the committee is focused on reducing costs.

She said a consideration regarding the size of a new jail is focused on the spaces the sheriff and his staff use and how essential the appropriate size for their work spaces should be.

“Extra beds are not that big of mental challenge to include in a plan, and the costs like $1.5 million or something per 10 beds on top of was a $30 million base,” Morrison said. “The issue of reducing the (proposed) millage comes down to looking at those shared spaces and deciding what’s essential and what the needs of the county for that core. That’s where the real savings are.”

Last fall, the county board approved a contract for master plan work with the Kalamazoo-based Abonmarch Byce and Securitecture, which worked with the Jail Committee to determine the sheriff’s office and jail needs for the next 20 years, with the ability to expand beyond that time if necessary. The companies have collaborated on about 30 projects over the years, most recently the new jail in Delta County.

The plan looked at the needs of the county’s courts, community corrections and treatment court programs.

Last month, Sheriff Josh Saaranen, with the help of the subcommittee, agreed to work to create a breakdown of spaces in the proposed new jail based on the report.

“Just like the Abonmarche Byce report reflected, along with the Jail Needs Committee, which met last week,” Saaranen told the Board, “we’re talking a lot about the jail, but we’re wanting to also bring into focus the other needs, including our field services, evidence storage – which has to be a very secure facility as well – and try to pare that job as much as possible, but be within the scope of what we need on a day-to-day basis, as compared to what we have now.”

The Jail Committee and the Jail Needs Subcommittee were formed last November after the defeat of an August, 2025 jail millage with the goal of developing a plan for a jail/sheriff’s office that voters will support.