Suncoast Searchlight: Sarasota County jail likely to hit overcrowding milestone

The jail is expected to be over capacity even by the time a planned addition is finished.

By Christian Casale/Suncoast Searchlight

Original Air Date: Nov. 10, 2026

Host: Sarasota County has the most overpopulated jail in Florida. As the inmate population continues to climb, a new addition is planned. But even that may not be enough to avoid the expensive transfer of some inmates to other facilities. Christian Casale with Suncoast Searchlight reports.

Christian Casale: Sarasota County’s jail is the most overpopulated in Florida, and a planned expansion won’t fix that. As of October, the jail held 300 more inmates than officials say it can safely hold. Its last addition was built in 2002. Since then, the county’s population has grown by more than 40%. The jail’s capacity hasn’t changed.

The Sheriff’s Office says 1,200 inmates is the point where Sheriff Kurt Hoffman would need to seriously consider sending inmates to other county jails. The population passed that mark in July, then dropped back after a couple days.

A hallway at the Sarasota County Jail. | Photo: Emily Andersen, Suncoast Searchlight

Sheriff’s Office Major Brian Meinberg, who commands Courts and Corrections, expects the jail to hit 1,200 or come close for a couple weeks next year. He says by the time the new space is built, the county will have to send inmates out. That’s expensive. It costs $129 a day to house an inmate at the jail and $200 somewhere else. Sending 100 inmates out for a year would cost an estimated $2.6 million more.

County commissioners approved a $30.2 million expansion this year. Meinberg said it would add 150-200 beds. But it is not expected to be done until 2029, and county projections show the jail would still be nearly 20% over capacity.

Captain Debra Kiner said crowding affects “everything,” including medical care and food service. Meinberg says it also cuts into GED classes, addiction recovery and mental health services that prepare people for re-entry.

Public defender Larry Eger says transfers would also be a major burden on his office. His attorneys still need to meet clients face to face, which is difficult enough when a jail is just 100 yards away. Transfers to counties like Charlotte or Lee would make those meetings much more difficult.

For Suncoast Searchlight, I’m Christian Casale.

To read the full report, visit suncoastsearchlight.org/sarasota-county-jail-overcrowding-inmate-transfers.

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