County jail project $22 million over budget

Rising construction costs have pushed the Dane County Jail consolidation project $22 million over budget to $170 million, according to a Wisconsin State Journal report. A possible cost-saving measure would be to cut two floors from the proposed seven-story tower to make the project feasible. JFA Institute, an independent criminal justice research group, advised deleting the floors and decreasing the jail population. Dane County officials sought guidance from the consulting group after learning construction costs would push the jail redevelopment millions of dollars over budget. The group has been analyzing the jail project to find ways to cut costs and get the project closer to the original $148 million budget that has been approved by the Dane County Board.