WOOD COUNTY, OH (WTOL) - Wood county officials are looking at the possibilities of expanding their jail.
One of the reasons is directly related to the opioid crisis, something Northwest Ohio is all too familiar with.
"So we have a major change in our facility because of the number of people who are detoxing in our facility, many of whom are a part of the heroine/opioid crisis we are having right now," said Wood County Sheriff Mark Wasylyshyn.
Right now the proposal is split in two parts, medical booking and housing additional females.
The proposed expansions include upgrades to the medical area of the jail as well as additional beds and rehabilitation for female inmates.
The entire project would cost about $18 million.
"It's expensive. And no one wants to, you know, it's not an exciting thing to spend money on jails," said Wasylyshyn.
Wood County commissioners have already looked into the need for medical accommodations but are still researching if adding female beds is a possibility.
"We certainly will take a look at that, it's one we haven't really discussed yet. So we'll have to see how this fits into the rest of our budget," said Wood County Commissioner Doris Herringshaw.
If the project is approved, it will take a few years for the expansions to be completed.
