The high cost of construction and an unwillingness to house state prisoners locally knocked San Mateo County from up to $100 million in state money to build a new jail, leaving the county looking for alternative ways to replace its overcrowded facilities.

San Mateo County applied for $100 million in jail bond funds but the California Corrections Standards Authority recommended zero, according to the preliminary list issued Thursday.

The county must still build a $140 million jail but the question of how to do so is now a little more unknown, said Sheriff Greg Munks.

“The need doesn’t go away,” Munks said. “We just need to get back together with the county and the Board of Supervisors and look at other ways to fund it.”

The $650 million in awards to eight counties must still be validated and formalized but is considered a pretty solid assessment of how the money will be doled out. A second funding phase of $450 million will be available later but it is unclear right now if it, too, will give priority to counties willing to house state prisoners in re-entry facilities.

The state’s preliminary zero award decision makes moot ongoing debate among the Board of Supervisors whether a state-owned facility is in the county’s best interest. After many hearings and discussions, the board agreed Munks should apply but make no commitment.

Assembly Bill 900, the Public Safety and Offender Rehabilitation Act of 2007, decided recipients based on a point system in which jurisdictions willing to house state inmates in local jails earned higher totals. Points were also allocated based on cost per bed, an area where the county stumbled. For example, the price to rebuild on the Maple Street site of the current women’s facility is $214,000 per bed as opposed to San Bernadino County where the cost is $70,000 per bed, Munks said.

“We have a hard time competing. It helped put us out of the running,” Munks said.

The process “rewards counties that have stepped up to help enact real corrections reform and improve public safety,” stated James Tilton, CSA Board chair and secretary of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

The county did well based on its need the quality of the proposal but those two were not enough to beat out counties with both cheaper land and a willingness to transition prisoners. San Mateo County’s application earned 730 points in comparison to first place San Bernadino County which will receive $100 million based on 1200.6 points.

The proposed secure re-entry facilities aim to provide vocational training, job placement, education, counseling, drug and alcohol rehabilitation and any number of targeted services proponents say will keep parolees from re-offending. Inmates will go to the centers during their final six to 12 months behind bars to being the rehabilitation and assimilation process.

County officials have said the money is tempting but voiced concern about other caveats of the plan.

 After construction the proposed re-entry facilities will not belong to the respective counties for the approximately 25 years of bond indebtedness. The arrangement mandates the facilities meet seismic, fire and life safety standards.

The prison system reform requires a participating counties match 25 percent of the $1.2 billion provided for local jail beds unless the population is less than 200,000. Individual counties will also be responsible for the facility’s operations and maintenance.

Those day to day costs are no small request and could eat into a jail budget as much as funding a facility locally, Munks said.

The county has a history of traditional financing for capital projects, such as the Youth Services Center and crime lab.  

The county expects to receive a formal letter from the state after which officials will begin re-evaluating its options, according to Assistant County Manager David Boesch.

A modified program will be developed and likely come before the Board of Supervisors sometime this summer, he said.

The county has not settled on Maple Street as a definitive site for a new jail but there are few parcels left that would work. Even at 1590 Maple St. in Redwood City,  the facility would be built up five stories rather than out, adding to the cost.

The plan calls for 548 beds with another 100 set aside for future expansion or leasing back to the state. A lease agreement could bring in approximately $3 million annually in revenue, Munks said.

The top three floors of the jail — anticipated to open in November 2011 — would be set aside for programming to prevent the jail from being a revolving door and give inmates the tools to curb recidivism.

Despite the financial hurdles, the county must rebuild its jails, Munks said.

Overcrowding at the current jail facilities have been an ongoing problem in San Mateo County, as it is statewide, and the topic of numerous subcommittees, meetings and plans. In 2007, Maguire had a daily population of 1,012 inmates despite being rated for only 688. The facility has consistently operated at 147 percent over capacity. The women’s jail is working with a rating of 84 but an average daily capacity of 144.

On Friday, Munks said Maguire was running at around 970 but with summer around the corner, he anticipated a surge past 1,000 inmates. The overcrowding overwhelms basic needs like laundry and food preparation and replaces program areas used for education and rehabilitation with double and triple bunks.

Also making the situation untenable, the governor wants to release 71,000 prisoners to alleviate state crowding. The plan means 900 to 1,300 people returned to San Mateo County and with recidivism hovering about 70 percent, many will require space in the jail, Munks said.

“Even before that we’re in dire straights. That plan adds even more urgency,” Munks said.

On Feb. 5, Munks suggested re-opening the honor farm in La Honda and the northern county jail facility in South San Francisco as temporary housing.

Munks anticipates beginning construction in a week or two but not  transferring inmates unless Maple Street is demolished or Maguire hits about 1,070 inmates. Security will be installed to stave off copper thieves that stripped the site after its closure.

Munks also believes the northern facility will be open by the end of the year. The building will only house minimum-security women enrolled in gender-responsive programming. There will be no booking or releases from the site which should calm any anxiety of residents worried about extra traffic or safety, Munks said.

“The future looks good for both facilities,” Munks said. “In the meantime, we will keep moving ahead and working with the board for a new jail.”

Michelle Durand can be reached by e-mail: michelle@smdailyjournal.com or by phone: (650) 344-5200 ext. 102.