In Miami County, residents are urged to come to jail.
The commissioners are hosting special tours to gain public support for a sales tax increase on the May ballot.
From January through April, Miami County Commissioners and the Sheriff’s Department are hosting tours of the Miami County downtown jail. They want area voters to see up close the aging facility's structural problems, operational challenges and its security needs.
Miami County Commissioner Wade Westfall said the county has needed a new maximum security jail for decades.
The current facility on West Main Street was built in 1972.
A single cell averages 48 square feet. However, per Ohio law, a single cell must be at least 70 square feet. Larger for multiple occupants.
A recent study showed in 2023, Miami County had an incarceration rate at of 111 persons in jail per 100,000 of population. This is 44% lower than the 2023 national jail rate of 198 per 100,000. It's also lower than neighboring counties including Clark County (125 per 100,000), Warren County (119 per 100,000) and Greene County (118 per 100,000).
In addition, Westfall said structurally, the downtown building no longer meets the modern standards for safety, efficiency and legal compliance.
"All of the equipment is still original," Westfall said. "We have constant failures on door locks and it repeatedly fails to meet state jail inspections."
Also, Westfall said the Miami County jail does not have a modern medical unit to manage inmates in mental health crises or who need to detox from alcohol and or drugs.
"65% of our current population has got either some form of alcohol or drug addiction and or mental health issues. And we do not have the facility that can handle that," Westfall said. "We do not have any infirmary beds. We don't have the capability of dealing with any kind of medical issues whatsoever when it comes down to separate facility to get the treatment."
Estimated cost for the new jail is more than $100 million.
This is why Miami County Commissioners want voters to support the 0.5% sales tax increase they are putting on the May ballot.
"A half percent will raise approximately, in today's value, about $10 million a year. It would strictly be for construction costs," Westfall said.
Currently, Miami County has a 7% sales tax — 5.75% goes to the state of Ohio. The county keeps 1.25%.
According to Westfall, the sales tax increase would last for at least 10 years. However, he said if the bond is paid off early, there is a chance the increased sales tax will end early.
Westfall said Greene County's new jail is an example of what Miami County commissioners want to build. Ideally, he said the new jail would have 200 beds, more light, space for programs and education, enhanced spaces for staff. It would also house the sheriff's office, county EMA, with a backup 911 center. The county would access state grants and other funds to renovate the adjacent minimum security facility off County Road 25-A. It opened in 1999 between Troy and Piqua and has about 240 beds.
Later this month, the commission will hold public hearings to discuss the need for the sales tax increase, how the money will be used to build a new jail and how long the sales tax increase will last.
Tour schedule
The current tour schedule is below.
Daytime Sessions, 11:30AM
• January 10
• January 31
• February 14
• February 28
• March 14
• March 28
• April 11
• April 18
• April 25
Evening Sessions, 6:30PM
• January 7
• February 4
• March 4
• April 1, 15, 29
All tours begin in the main lobby of the Miami County Safety Building. For safety and security reasons, all visitors will be screened upon entry. This tour is ADA accessible.
Additional group tours may also be arranged by appointment through the Commissioners’ Office at 937-440-5910 or commissioners@miamicountyohio.gov .
