February 14, 2023

Jackson County Executive Frank White, Jr. and Jackson County Sheriff Darryl Forté have issued the following statement in support of a joint detention center solution with the City of Kansas City, Missouri:

“We have recently been made aware that city staff will be recommending to Mayor Lucas and City Council the approval of an option that would provide an opportunity for a joint detention center. Indicated as “Option 3” in the County Options for a Joint Jackson County/KCMO Facility report, this option consists of independent detention facilities at the same location, with shared services.

“At the request of the County Legislature, this option was studied in November 2022 by the county’s detention center consultants, who determined it to be the most logical and beneficial option to the County that would not significantly slow down our construction process nor increase costs.

“We are encouraged by these recent developments as it relates to the possibility of co-locating detention facilities with shared services at our project location on U.S. Highway 40. While nothing is finalized and any agreement must be approved by the County Legislature and City Council, we remain confident that this step is a significant building block for long-term collaboration that benefits the County, City and most importantly, residents.”