This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
The Salt Lake County Council on Tuesday formally set the maximum operating capacity its jail system at 2,050 inmates.
When the number of inmates reaches 1,640 — 80 percent of capacity — a resolution passed unanimously by the council authorizes Sheriff Jim Winder to implement measures to reduce the number of new inmates coming into the system.
The number hasn't changed since last year, Winder noted, but it may come into play more now as Salt Lake County prepares to deal with a legislative change that will allow, at state expense, some inmates to be moved to less utilized jails in rural counties when overcrowding becomes a problem in the Salt Lake Valley.
That process is more complicated than it might seem, Winder said, adding that sheriffs from around the state will get together soon to talk about the subtleties of moving inmates.
"Let's say Uintah County takes 50 inmates. But what kind of inmates?" he asked rhetorically. "If we have a person with medical issues or mental health problems, it's not good to take them to a remote county. They have to be held here [in Salt Lake County]. What they will want are individuals with less issues, low-maintenance inmates."