Two Town Hall Meetings have been scheduled to gather input and provide information regarding jail issues.

The first meeting will be Tuesday, Aug. 25, in the Public Meeting Room at the courthouse, and the second will be Wednesday, Aug. 26, in the Nampa City Hall Council Chambers. Both meetings will be from 6-8 p.m.

County personnel will talk about the consent decree with the ACLU that was recently signed, and what changes are being made, with the assistance of the judges, in sentencing and pre-sentencing, to keep jail numbers within the limits of the decree.

Additionally, with the availability of at least $18 million in stimulus funds to aid in keeping construction costs low, the commissioners would like to hear the public’s input on the potential of having a jail bond on the November ballot. Financial experts will attend both meetings to explain how the stimulus funds work, and what that might mean for taxpayers.

Commissioners will also present drawings and plans of the no-frills jail that is being considered.

“I would hope that many people will attend these meetings and give us their opinions on what steps we should take going forward,” said Commissioner Steve Rule. “We know we have to do something about the jail, and this might be the right time, and the right incentive, to put our plan in place.”