The changes came in light of research estimating the state prison population was on track to grow by 36 percent and $130 million by 2022. If the State Penitentiary is full, the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation can make inmates wait in county jail until there is room. "You can decriminalize things, but that's just a way to me to sit them in county jail and not provide them any services," Danzeisen said. "With this authority, they should never ever have to build another jail bed in this state," Bertsch said. She said DOCR is willing to offer technical assistance to counties that want help creating alternatives to incarceration for jail inmates.

Source: Daily Sun July 16, 2017 11:26 UTC