The San Mateo County Sheriff’s Department held a groundbreaking ceremony last week at the site of the new jail, which is slated for completion in 2015.
The the new 260,000-square-foot Maple Street Correctional Center on October 4, 2011, which has an estimated price tag of $160 million.
The 640-bed facility will be located on Maple and Blomquist Streets in Redwood City, closer to the Redwood City Police Department - a victory for many Redwood City residents who .
Redwood City Mayor Alicia Aguirre told the crowd of approximately 175 that she was pleased that the City and County could agree on the jail’s new location. The City is committeed to further working with the County and site plan features, she added.
Redwood City Councilmembers Rosanne Foust and Barbara Pierce were also present at the groundbreaking, as well as all five members of the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors, Undersheriff Carlos Bolanos, State Assemblymember Jerry Hill, Redwood City Mayor Alicia Aguirre and California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) Secretary Matt Cate.
The recently-approved state budget includes $500 million for additional local jail bed construction, but San Mateo County must apply for grants to receive some of this money. Back in October 2011, just a few weeks after the jail's approval, the state rejected the county's application for funds.
Many community members have , citing a large price tag that is not feasible within the county’s current budget.
Sheriff Greg Munks called the new jail a “place of hope” which will have more like culinary training, a dog training program and de-centralized computer labs to reduce recidivism and reintegrate former inmates back into society.
Children of inmates are five times more like than children of nonoffenders to become incarcerated themselves, Munks said, quoting statistics. He said he was committed to reducing this statistic by providing more visiting opportunities to the children of all inmates.
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