The sheriff had hoped to open another floor of the annex this spring, which requires another 23 positions. But that plan is on hold.

The target date for opening the second floor is now Sept. 1.

The state has already provided the money to operate the two floors, and the demand for the space is certainly there, as dozens of inmates are released early each day. But the county has yet to tap the funds.

The county Board of Supervisors is hoping to provide money to open the third floor early next year, bringing the jail close to running at its full capacity of 3,478 inmates. Whether there will be enough employees to do this remains to be seen.

Getting appropriate staffing at the jail has been challenging for a number of reasons.

First, there's the sheer number of correctional officers needed -- to staff the new floors and replace those who have left.

Retirements were unusually high this spring because of budget-induced wage cuts and a slight increase in retirement pay.

"It is a struggle hiring this many that fast," said Assistant Sheriff Tom Gattie, who oversees the jail. "We've never in the history of the Sheriff's Office hired this many this fast."

On top of the numbers crunch, hiring public safety employees is inherently slow, with the interviews, background checks and psychological tests.

Less than a quarter of the several hundred applicants make it through the process, according to the Personnel Department.

Then, there's at least several weeks of training.

While Gattie wants new employees in the door as quickly as possible, he also doesn't want to rush in an unqualified or untrained hire.

That leaves him managing a work group that's not big enough to handle its required assignments in routine shifts.

The overtime "is OK for a little while, but over the long haul it takes its toll on employees," Gattie said.

Jail supervisors are trained to make sure correctional officers don't work if they're too tired or their performance is compromised.

County Supervisor Henry Perea, who has criticized the pace of jail hiring, said the amount of overtime worked during the past nine months would have been much less if the Sheriff's Office and personnel officials had worked harder on recruitment when the state realignment was first introduced.

"In light of the supervisors giving direction over a year ago to be ready to open the floors when the money becomes available, their ability to not open the jail floor is unacceptable," Perea said, "especially when the result is more inmate releases, making our communities less safe."