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Crawford County Justice Center Construction Halfway Completed

CRAWFORD COUNTY (KFSM) – Construction of the Crawford County Justice Center is ahead of schedule, and a little more than halfway complete. The county judge, quo...

CRAWFORD COUNTY (KFSM) – Construction of the Crawford County Justice Center is ahead of schedule, and a little more than halfway complete.

The county judge, quorum court members, and the sheriff’s office toured the construction site Monday (Jan. 18). The building will serve several purposes: a new sheriff’s office, 911 center, a circuit courtroom and a jail.

Construction workers said the jail will be able to hold 308 inmates.

Jail administrator Cpt. Brandon Trent said in his 10 years with the sheriff’s office, he has always dealt with jail overcrowding.

“I think it's going to solve the overcrowding problem for hopefully several years in the future,” Trent said.

Crawford County Judge John Hall said the jail is only meant for Crawford County inmates.

“We will not accept inmates from other counties, but, the other counties, some of them, have been really good to help us,” he said. “If they get to the point where they have to have some help, yes, we will certainly repay them for their kindness.”

The facility is located on Highway 64, between Van Buren and Alma. It is expected to be completed by the end of October or early November of 2016. Once construction has finished, the sheriff’s office will spend about one month becoming familiar with it, before inmates are brought in.

Trent said when the sheriff’s office moves to the new building, it will use new booking software and keep inmate information and mug shots online.

Hall said this was the fourth attempt to make a new jail in Crawford County since 1976. He also said the $20 million project is expected to be completed $2 million under budget.

The current sheriff’s office and jail are being leased, and Hall said after the transition is made to the new facility, another use will be found for the spaces, located in Van Buren.

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