The South Correctional Entity (SCORE), a group of King County cities, is working on plans to build a new $80 million jail, possibly in Des Moines, to house misdemeanor offenders.

Plans for a new jail come in response to an announcement by King County officials that, as of 2012, the county would no longer house misdemeanor offenders.

The new jail would hold 680 inmates.

Right now most cities are shipping misdemeanor offenders to Yakima County Jail because it is cheaper than housing inmates in King County.

Five cities are currently part of score, Des Moines Auburn, Federal Way, Tukwila and Renton. SeaTac may also join in the plan.

Plans for the jail are in the very early stages. A location for the jail has yet to be picked out and plans have yet to be shown to the councils of the participating cities.

The location for the jail has been narrowed down to two locations, one of which is in Des Moines on Port of Seattle property.

Renton Jail Manager Penney Bartley said they hope to have the jail online by 2011. She said work on the jail could open in about two and a half years.

SCORE is also still trying to figure out how to fund the $80 million dollar project.

Bartley said the decision to stop housing misdemeanor inmates is affecting every city in King County.

She said over the next 20 years there will be a need for 1,450 beds, and there is no facility in the state that can accommodate that.

Another group of 23 cities, calling themselves the North/East Cities Committee, has formed to tackle the same problem. The group includes the cities of Seattle, Bellevue, Issaquah and Shoreline.

The jail would be run by as an independent entity with the cities being charged for their usage.