John J. Benoit Detention Center in Indio being used to hold 500 state inmates
After years of delays, the John J. Benoit Detention Center in Indio is now in service and is being used to hold hundreds of state inmates.
The John J. Benoit Detention Center replaces the old Indio Jail near the Larson Justice Center.
Construction of the new jail began in July 2015 and it was originally supposed to be complete by December 2017 but the project faced several delays.
"The construction of this jail was just a nightmare," Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco told News Channel 3.
The original plan was to rotate inmate population into the new facility, however, it has mostly been used for booking and processing for the past several months. Local inmates are then moved to other jails around the county.
That's changed recently as the jail is being used to hold over 500 inmates bound for state incarceration facilities and pending transfer.
According to a spokesperson for the county, the state has declined to accept any more state inmates into its system due to COVID-19 concerns.
There have been several outbreaks in state jails. According to the California Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation, as of Nov. 19, there are 2,056 inmates active cases and 1103 active CDCR/CCHCS employee COVID-19 cases statewide. There have been 908 new cases among employees in the last 14 days.
The John J. Benoit Detention Center has over 1,500 beds available to hold inmates.
Statement from the Riverside County Sheriff's Department:
"The John Benoit Detention Center is used for the booking and releasing of inmates and also currently is housing only inmates who have been sentenced to state prison and pending their transfer. Inmates who are booked into the jail will be transferred to other facilities for housing pending their adjudication on their cases."
Deanna Pecoraro, Correctional Sergeant
Riverside County Sheriff’s Department
Sheriff’s Administration – Media Information Bureau
