Three Albuquerque city councilors are sponsoring a resolution that directs jail officials to stop the release of inmates as part of a court-mandated effort to limit the jail population.
The emergency resolution calls for opening 'an interim jail facility' at Montessa Park, which is south of the city, between Kirtland Air Force Base and Mesa del Sol.
Councilor Greg Payne — a sponsor of the resolution — said he planned to push for emergency action on the bill at a recent meeting. 
The city-county jail Downtown has been under a court order to limit its population to a monthly average of 586 inmates.
But Lawrence Rael, the city's chief administrative officer, said the resolution isn't a good solution for meeting the cap. The proposal, he said, doesn't outline how to pay for the staff and building improvements that would be required to turn Montessa Park into an interim jail.
He estimated the cost at more than $2 million. Rael also said it would take time to hire and train staff for the facility.
Jail director John Dantis also was skeptical of the proposal.
Rael said a new jail is expected to open on the West Mesa within the next six to nine months.
Rael and Dantis said a warehouse at Montessa Park was used about five years ago to briefly house some inmates. But the building currently doesn't meet safety regulations, they said.
The resolution declares an emergency and says the release of inmates is ”placing the public at risk.'
The measure also says the interim jail is needed 'due to unforeseen circumstances that if not addressed immediately by the City Council, will likely result in injury or damage to persons or property.'
Councilor Mike McEntee said the interim jail would be worth the money and effort.