The Floyd County sheriff plans to close the county jail and export inmates to a nearby county.
Floyd County Sheriff Rick Lynch says a state jail inspector told county officials in October that the 73-year-old jail located on the fourth floor of the courthouse did not meet the needs of the staff or the public.
Lynch proposes to send inmates to Mitchell County as a cost-saving move.
He says it would cost the county about $5 million to build a new jail facility, but the county would only spend about $135,000 a year to house inmates in the Mitchell County Jail in Osage.
The move would also save Floyd County about $100,000annually since five jail employees would lose their jobs. Two employees would remain as the jail is converted into a weekday temporary holding facility.
By Bob Fisher, KRIB, Mason City