Dispelling a myth
Keweenaw County not to blame for overcrowding in Houghton
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HOUGHTON - The Houghton County Board of Commissioners and the Houghton County Jail Committee have waged a campaign for another attempt at a county jail millage proposal, following the defeat at the ballot in August, 2025.
Both the BOC and the jail committee have received both support and pushback in the campaign, along with legitimate questions and concerns from county residents. Among these is that the current overcrowding of the Houghton County Jail is the result of the Keweenaw County Sheriff's Office housing its inmates there.
For example, on Facebook post asked: "How many counties use the Houghton County Jail? Could this be the overcrowding problem?..and since Houghton County taxpayers fund it."
Jail Committee Co-Chair Faith Morrison has also encountered the assertion that the Houghton County website states the jail is taking inmates from neighboring counties, primarily Keweenaw County. Morrison said the jail is not accepting inmates from other counties, but to verify that she is considering contacting Keweenaw County.
On Tuesday morning, Keweenaw County Undersheriff and Jail Administrator Tnnya Mattila told the Daily Mining Gazette that her office has not lodged anyone in Houghton County Jail since 2023.
"Since 2023, we lodge people primarily in Ontonagon County Jail," she said, "but we do use Baraga County's jail, too."
Mattila said that under the regulatory frameworks from the Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC), the Keweenaw County Jail at Eagle River facility is classified as a certified Type I Jail.
"If we have to, we will keep someone lodged here for three days, but for anything after three days, we'll ship them to Ontonagon or Baraga," Mattila said.
While its operations are structurally limited to holding inmates for up to 72 hours, it remains a fully accredited county jail facility subject to regular state inspections.
Mattila said while some refer to the facility is a "72-hour lockup," and it is therefore not an actual jail under Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC) definition, the jail is subject to yearly MDOC inspections, as is every other jail in the state.
"I just had my jail inspection two weeks ago," she said. "They came in and inspected our records and inspected our jail, so we're a jail."
Keweenaw County has the distinction of having the smallest jail in the state of Michigan.
"We have beds for five," Mattila said. "We have two detox cells and two maximum security cells."