VALLEY CITY, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – The 100 plus year old Barnes County jail is showing its age after failing a recent jail inspection by the state. The rating was dropped to a two according to Sheriff Randy McClaflin.

In the past, the option to repair the jail has been used to keep the facility in compliance, now McClaflin said the county maybe looking at two options close the jail or build a new one.

Barnes County jailer Julie Forsman says the maximum amount of inmates dropped from 30 to 20 following the inspection. She says there are safety concerns for jailers and inmates.

Sheriff McClaflin says community input will be needed to find out if there is support to build a new jail or to simply close down the existing facility. The Barnes County jail has 11 employees.

Ten years ago, a proposal to build a new jail crumbled after there wasn’t enough monetary support for a multi-county correctional facility. The current jail has been operating since 1914.

The complete interview with Sheriff Randy McClaflin and jailer Julie Forsman is available right here.