Santa Clara County scraps design for new jail, opening prospect of more delays, rising costs

AFTER MORE THAN a decade of planning, Santa Clara County is poised to go back to the drawing board to redesign its new jail, while criminal justice advocates call to abandon the plan altogether.

The Board of Supervisors voted 3-1-1 Tuesday to pump the brakes on a plan to construct a new $689 million jail, with officials saying the six-year-old design is outdated. Supervisors also agreed to work on a list of projects to prioritize in September before they consider hiring a consultant to redesign the jail. Supervisors Otto Lee, Susan Ellenberg and Cindy Chavez voted yes and Supervisor Mike Wasserman voted no. Supervisor Joe Simitian abstained from voting and said the proposed plan was too vague.