New jail opening set

Thurston County Sheriff John Snaza says he wants to have the Accountability and Restitution Center (ARC) opened and operating no later than January 1, 2013.

Snaza says he has reached an agreement with the various unions to give the new staffing concept a try. In order to make the switch from the old jail to the new, the sheriff has to fill six positions, all of which are currently vacant.

Snaza said it’s not easy to find the right people and can cost as much as $10,000 an employee, just to do background checks and lie detector tests.