Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart is closing two buildings at the once-overcrowded Cook County Jail because of a decrease in the inmate population.
Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart is closing two buildings at the once-overcrowded Cook County Jail because of a decrease in the inmate population. Dart says closing the buildings could save taxpayers up to $15 million a year. Together, they hold 900 inmates. The 96-acre jail complex can house 10,000 inmates. In 2002, more than 11,000 were being held, and many were forced to sleep on the floor. Today, officials say the inmate population is about 8,600. In 2004, almost 106,000 people were processed at the jail. Last year, 86,000 people were processed. Officials attribute the decline in the number of inmates to a drop in the overall crime rate. The decreases mean Cook County Jail may no longer be the largest single-site facility in the country. Copyright 2010 The Associated Press.
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