North Dakota – North Dakota Governor Kelly Armstrong has expressed support for an agreement between the North Dakota Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and Grand Forks County following the county commission’s approval of a letter of intent to provide custody and care for state inmates in unused space at the Grand Forks County Correctional Center.

“We appreciate the Commission’s unanimous vote expressing their interest to enter an agreement to house DOCR residents at the County Correctional Center,” Armstrong said.

“This will be a win-win for both parties, with the state securing access to jail beds to relieve pressure on our overcrowded prisons and the county securing another source of revenue to service the debt on their recently completed yet underutilized jail facility.”

Armstrong had included funding for the agreement in his executive budget recommendation to the Legislature in January after county officials initially proposed the idea to the state. While the commission’s approval moves the plan forward, the final terms of the agreement have yet to be determined.

The partnership is expected to help address ongoing concerns about overcrowding in North Dakota’s prison system while ensuring the Grand Forks County Correctional Center operates at a more efficient capacity.