Inmates move into new jail

Old building to be refurbished for women, juveniles

Sunday, Aug. 26, 2007

By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer

Inmates in Catawba County moved into the new jail last week, and now the Sheriff's Office is hoping a makeover of the old facility will help save the county thousands of dollars.

Deputies last week moved about 170 inmates from the outdated, cramped, 27-year-old jail into the newly built facility it adjoins - a 98,000-square-foot detention center with 176 beds, a trusty dormitory, video visitation booths, a fully equipped kitchen and a medical center.

As inmates and guards begin adjusting to the new jail, Sheriff David Huffman has brought in a cleaning crew to scour the cells and hallways of the old jail.

The idea, he said, is to refurbish the entire building and turn it into a facility where the county can house only its female and juvenile inmates.

"Juveniles stay all over the state - in Mecklenburg, Buncombe County, and some have gone all the way to Wilmington," he said. "And any time a juvenile from Catawba County is housed outside our county, we're charged."

Not having to transport the younger inmates, Huffman said, could translate into about $90,000 in savings for the county.

According to state law, juveniles are required to be out of sight and sound of adult inmates, which has kept Catawba County from being able to house inmates younger than 16, Huffman said.

Making renovations to the old jail, he said, could make it possible to keep younger inmates in the county and cut out costs of having to pay another county to house the juveniles.

Huffman said he has about $250,000 available for the renovations. He hopes that will cover the work, though state requirements could push the cost higher.

The combined budget for both facilities is about $4.6 million.

Huffman said the old jail is big enough to hold about 14 juvenile inmates separately from the adult female inmates.

Currently, female inmates are being held in one section of the old jail while other areas of the facility are pressure-washed and repainted and repairs are made to security doors, tables and cells, Huffman said.

When that's done, the females will be moved into the refurbished area while renovations are made to the rest of the old jail.

"Everything is steel and concrete," Huffman said, "and we want to make it more comfortable for them."

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