Jail grand opening to include public tours

By Lisa Majors-Duff

Jackson County commissioners and Sheriff Jimmy Ashe have issued an invitation to the public to Saturday's grand opening of the new Detention and Law Enforcement Center.

The May 10 event is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. with a ribbon cutting and speeches by commission Chairman Stacy Buchanan, Ashe and others involved in the jail's development.

Invited guests include members of the current and former boards of commissioners; former sheriffs Jim Cruzan, Bob Allen and Fred Holcolmbe; and legal professionals, including District and Superior Court judges and area attorneys.

Following the ribbon cutting ceremony, Sheriff's Office deputies will provide guided tours of the facility until 1 p.m. Refreshments will also be provided.

"The opening of this new facility is more than the dedication of a building," Ashe said. "It marks a tangible commitment by the people of Jackson County to recognize the importance of law enforcement and its role in assuring that the quality of life in our community is second to none."

"Many people in the community have had a direct impact on this project in its planning, design and construction phases," Buchanan said. "I want to recognize them and acknowledge their efforts."

Construction of the $6 million law enforcement center began in 2000 after the completion of two studies on the county's future jail needs. The 72-bed facility was originally scheduled to open last summer, but numerous construction delays pushed the opening to this spring.

In addition to offices for the Sheriff's Department - including a waiting room, interview rooms, evidence rooms and a classroom - the new jail will include administrative space. Jailers will have room to process inmates, hold their property, perform administrative tasks and provide medical assistance for prisoners.

The detention center will be broken into four cell blocks, with inmates on work release allowed to remain in a dormitory-type environment, while isolation space will be available for prisoners who tend to be more hostile.

Eight beds will be provided in both the medium- and maximum-security areas. Both these areas can hold up to 16 beds if additional space is required. A separate space will house female prisoners.

All these areas, with the exception of the female cell block, will be monitored from a central control pod. From here a jailer can electronically control cell doors, as well as the doors to access the jail.

When the Sheriff's Office moves from its current headquarters at the old county courthouse, where it has been located since 1994, renovation plans for that building are expected to continue. A committee assembled by commissioners to recommend a future use for the 1913-14 courthouse is expected to hire an architect and proceed with plans to turn the building into a county museum.

Back to Archive: 05/08/03.