Good news for fans of free money and bigger big houses. Humboldt County has been approved to receive millions of dollars to expand its jail facility. Below is a press release, courtesy the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office, giving a brief overview of what the new two-story facility — to be constructed adjacent the current jail — will be utilized for: 

Today the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office was notified by the Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC) that the proposal turned in by the County was successful and that the County has been awarded $20,000,000 to build the Humboldt Community Corrections Reentry Resource Center (HCCRRC).

This was a collaborative effort by HCSO, Humboldt County Probation, Humboldt County Department of Health and Human Services, Humboldt County Public Works, and the Humboldt County Administrators Office to build a “one-stop-shop” to serve the AB 109 population in Humboldt County.

The HCCRRC will be a two story structure (approximately 23,000 square feet) located at the corner of 5th & K streets, next to the Humboldt County Correctional Facility. The first level of the structure will contain the Probation Department’s Day Reporting Center, HCSO’s Sheriff’s Work Alternatives Program (SWAP) office, and DHHS Behavioral Health clinical mental health and substance abuse counseling office and program space. This level will focus on the out-of-custody programing.

The second level will be a 44 bed reentry facility designed to assist inmates who are nearing their release dates prepare for their reentry into the community. Inmates housed in this facility will be afforded training and services that will help increase their chances for a successful life and career after jail.

Sheriff Mike Downey believes this is a great opportunity for Humboldt County. He believes through the collaboration with Probation and Mental Health, the enhanced services will help reduce recidivism in the county and make it a safer place to live.

PREVIOUSLY: Sheriff’s Office Shot Down on Appeal for State Funding to Build Jail Expansion

The Sheriff’s Office is holding a press conference about this grant right now. The Outpost is there, and we’ll be updating.

This is the second time Humboldt County has gone after this particular grant. The first effort was shot down almost two years ago, on what county officials called a “technicality.”

If you head over to the BSCC’s website you can peruse 140 pages of documents detailing Humboldt County’s application and its plans for its jail expansion (you can also download them from LoCO here). Because pictures are fun, the following graphics snagged from the aforementioned PDF should give you some idea of what this new facility will look like, even if they are a little hard to read (again, you can download the whole massive file if you’re into that kind of thing):