A crumbling jail needs a major fix or rebuild, say sheriff’s team

The Vista Detention Facility is falling apart. Plumbing backs up, locks on cell doors won’t close, and the wiring is stuck in the 1970s. It’s no wonder deputies struggle to do their jobs when they’re stuck working in spaces that feel more like a museum than a jail. Sheriff staff say the building is past its sell-by date. It was designed when lock-ups were just about locking people away, not helping them get better. Now, officials argue it’s time to invest big in a new facility rather than keeping the old one standing with duct tape and hope. Recent forums showed just how out-of-date the jail really is. During one meeting, jail commander Christopher Lawrence pointed out how cramped treatment areas have become. Therapy sessions sometimes happen in closets because there’s no space for proper counseling rooms. Police Captain Ryan Opeka shared how slow bookings slow down patrol officers. When his team spends hours transferring people into custody, those officers can’t be out stopping crime. Every wasted minute in the booking process means one less officer on the streets.The jail’s age is also tied to bigger problems. Over the past decade, 41 people died while in custody there out of nearly 180 deaths across the county’s jails. A grand jury report criticized how the sheriff’s team runs the jails, even though the jury didn’t directly blame the old building for every death. Still, experts say better medical and mental health care could save lives. Former inmate Jeffrey Warren told how he turned his life around after getting treatment behind bars. Programs like the one he attended need more room to grow, but the current jail layout makes expansion nearly impossible. Warren now works as a peer counselor and takes college classes, proof that some people just need the right help to change. County leaders now face a tough choice. Renovating the old jail would cost around $300 million, but building new costs way more—up to $950 million or more. The sheriff says the full rebuild is cheaper in the long run, even if sticker shock makes taxpayers blink. Plans are in motion to design a new jail on the same site, with construction likely starting around 2028. Until then, county officials will keep debating how to balance safety, fairness, and cost.