Board gets first look at female jail program

When the state afforded an additional $10 million to Carlton County in 2023 to help fund the new $75 million Justice Center, the money came with a stipulation. The project would include a justice-involved female program to serve as a demonstration project that might one day be replicated in other parts of the state.

More women were being jailed and incarcerated, and lawmakers were sold on the idea of a creative solution to the problem.

The 16-bed justice-involved female portion of the jail - its walls color-coded in purple - is a separate part of the 80-bed facility.

At its committee of the wh...