Tight space and rising costs; two big issues facing the Yakima City Jail. The 78-bed facility only houses men being held on misdemeanor charges; however, tight times have led to the jail becoming overcrowded, housing more than one-hundred inmates sending these overflow inmates to the county jail cuts deep into Yakima's pockets.

The city will pay the county $2.2 million dollars this year, as well as an additional $500,000 for medical costs. That's on top of what it takes to run the city jail. Yakima Police Department says the city pays close to $3.5-million per year running the jail and will now ask city council to spend $50,000 to examine expanding the facility. Captain Greg Copeland says the jail would need up to 250 beds to fit the city's needs.

The study may reveal doubling or tripling the capacity of the jail could drive down criminal justice costs over time.

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