Spokane County to Lay Off 57

Spokane County announced Wednesday that it was sending out formal layoff notices to 57 county jail employees.  Most of the layoffs will occur at the Geiger Corrections Center, which will lose approximately 40% of its deputies.  The Spokane County Jail will see a 10% reduction in its deputy force.

Budget cuts and the resulting layoffs are being blamed on a 2010 jail population that is significantly lower than it was expected to be. 

Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich said that the county jail system would be running an $8 million budget deficit by the end of the year had the cuts not been approved.