Timeline of the Ada County Jail

The growth and development of the Ada County Jail is a story that spans decades, is rooted in community commitment, and is shaped by evolving needs.

As our County has grown and evolved, so too has the need for infrastructure that supports the demands of our diverse inmate population. This history underlines our commitment to ensuring a safe and efficient jail environment.

1977: The Inception

The existing Ada County Jail was built and had a capacity of approximately 160 beds.

1995: The First Expansion

Significant additions were made to the jail. These included a kitchen, laundry, warehouse, booking area, sally port, commissary, attorney visiting area, legal resource center, and the construction of housing Pods A and B which added approximately 500 beds.

The expansion and improvements were funded by a successful bond election in 1992. This was the last time an expansion to the jail was funded by a voter-approved bond.

2003: Medium Custody Unit (MCU) Expansion

The MCU, which we call Cell Blocks 7 and 8 or Pod C, was added to the jail, bringing an additional 304 beds. This was the last major expansion of the jail.

2007: Health Services Unit Introduction

The next addition was the Health Services Unit which added 84 beds to the jail, but almost all of these are hospital/medical unit beds. While this substantially increased the bed count, the focus here was on medical facilities, providing hospital-grade care within the jail premises. The Health Services Unit based on its number of hospital beds and staff is considered the 7th largest hospital in the State of Idaho.

2013: Maximum Security Unit Expansion

The final addition was in 2013 for the addition of the Maximum Security Unit.  This added Cell Blocks 1500, 1600, and 1700 (referred to at times as Pod D) and included 88 total beds in 44 cells.

Needed Updates

While we've grown in terms of capacity, certain areas of the jail have been left untouched for years.

Since 1995, the kitchen, warehouse, booking area, and transport area have not been meaningfully updated. 

In 2005, we moved the laundry and commissary areas and added a dish pit and inmate worker break room to the kitchen area. We moved the small staff dining room to its current location around 2013–2014, which allowed us to move dry storage into the kitchen area itself. 

Over the decades, as dorms and space were added, remodels have led to the loss of some bed space in places when others were added.  Today, we have a rated capacity of 1,116 beds in the Ada County Jail.