MOSCOW, ID – The Latah County Sheriff’s Office Jail in Moscow will transition to a court holding and daytime booking facility as local inmates will be incarcerated at the jail in Lewiston.

The issue began last fall when the jail in Moscow failed inspection.  The facility was constructed in 1972 and no longer meets jail standards.  A press release from the sheriff’s office Tuesday states that upgrading the old jail would cost Latah County 13 million dollars.  Officials say the renovations would only make the jail viable for another five to ten years.  Building a new jail would cost about the same as the upgrades.

Sometime before October the sheriff’s office will transition the jail to a daytime holding facility for bookings and inmates making a court appearance in Moscow.  Local arrests made during normal court hours will be booked into the Latah County Jail before being taken to the Nez Perce County Sheriff’s Office Jail in Lewiston.  Arrests made after hours will be taken to the jail in the valley.  Inmates will be transported back to Moscow to the holding facility to make their local court appearances.  The move means that Latah County Sheriff’s Office inmates will not be housed overnight in Moscow.

The transition will allow local officials time to craft a plan and explore options for funding a potential new jail.  The Latah County Sheriff’s Office has been working with the county commissioners and the City of Moscow on the transition and a long-term jail solution.