FARGO — The Cass County Jail has partially opened a 192-bed addition, giving the Fargo facility more space to take on inmates who may have been turned away in the past.

The jail opened the first floor of the $31 million expansion this weekend, Cass County Sheriff Jesse Jahner told The Forum on Monday, Sept. 8. He described it as a "soft opening," noting the top floor requires more construction work before the jail can use it.

The soft opening marks an important milestone for the jail. Cass County has faced capacity issues in recent years, to the point that it had to house inmates in other county jails and turn away arrestees.

As of Monday morning, the jail housed 377 inmates, Jahner said. With the first floor open, it can house up to 444, he said.

It’s unclear when the second floor wi

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