It seems San Mateo County will become home to a new jail, despite public opposition to the plan. On September 25, the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a $1.8 billion 2012-13 fiscal year budget that included funding to start building the new facility in Redwood City.

The board allocated $44 million in the budget to pay for the first phase of construction on the jail. More than 100 people attended the recent board meeting and public testimony in opposition to the facility lasted more than 2 hours, KTVU reported. People chanted "no jail," and had signs that read "Cancel the jail money today," and "No more cages. We need jobs, living wages," the article stated.

Many feel the county should be spending money on crime prevention programs instead of a new jail, which is estimated to cost the county $160 million once it's complete, KTVU reported.

The future jail will include between 578-768 beds, according to the San Mateo County Sheriff's website. The Sheriff's Department said a new jail must be built to deal with the severe overcrowding occurring at the county's jail. Currently, the San Mateo County Jail is 130 percent to 140 percent over capacity.

The new jail is expected to open in 2015, the San Mateo County Daily Journal reported. It will cost an estimated $27 million in operating costs annually. The current county facility will be used for booking and pre-trial inmates and inmates already sentenced will be moved to the new jail, the article stated.

Opponents said the commission has failed to listen to the public and opinion pieces against the plan for the new jail, according to the Journal. The commission's decision also comes days after a consultant company hired by the county released a report stating a new jail will not fix the existing flaws of the county's correctional system.