On July 23, Anderson County Board Approved the $83 million contract to build a detention center. The county sold the land of the former detention center located at 1009 David Lee Coffee Pl Road.
“Anderson County City Administrator Rusty Burns he said. We’ve paid off a lot of bond debt that the county owed and we’re just replacing that old debt with new debt for this project.”
The new state-of-the-art detention center will be designed to meet the growing demands of the county’s justice system and provide a safer, more efficient environment for inmates and staff.”
It will be built on the same property, ensuring a seamless operational transition. Once completed, inmates will be transferred to the new facility, minimizing disruption to their routines. As construction nears completion, more demolition will take place. This approach aims to maintain safety and efficiency throughout the process.
Burns said the newer part of the old jail will be turned into a youth center for Anderson County and all surrounding counties. “We will receive a large salary from the federal government to house these young people.”
Another part of the project involves opioid money and other funds to hire two psychologists to work at the prison with inmates. “These funds will also be used to create scholarships so that inmates can immediately leave that facility and, if they request it, immediately enter drug treatment,” Burns said. “With the increase in psychological counseling available, the option of actually going to a place to receive treatment, let’s try to break this revolving door and get people to build their lives. new way of treating people when they leave, so they don’t come back.”
Why is a new Detention Center needed?
The current Anderson County Detention Center was built in the early days of prisons in the 1950s, with a capacity of 450 people.
Burns stated, “Yesterday, we only had four of the 400 beds available at the prison. It is important to note that 80% of inmates have not yet been to court. The new detention center will also be built to accommodate federal inmates.”
“South Carolina has only one juvenile detention center, located in Columbia. Sheriff Burns stated, “If two of our deputies have to take a juvenile to the detention center in Columbia for processing and then return, they will be unavailable all day. “
“We’re not just building it now, we’re building it for the future, Burns said. Some things will be expanded if, twenty years from now, they have to update it.”
Project plans, inmate capacity, and other resources
According to the project plans, the new facility will accommodate 650 inmates. Support spaces such as Sallyport Vehicular, entrance and booking area, property storage, medical facilities, kitchen, laundry, administrative offices, storage and public lobby will also be included.
The project plans require specific expertise in the construction of detention centers. This includes additional safety and security measures and knowledge of relevant federal laws and regulations.
According to project plansHere is a list of companies that assist in the construction and design phases.
Construction and design phases
Although construction of the planned prison has not yet begun, preparations are well underway. Burns expressed that the project is being planned to accommodate future growth and changing needs of the county.
John Fox of Anderson County Roads and Bridges is the project manager. He has worked at Anderson County Roads and Bridges for several years and has experience in private construction.
Vannoy Construction will handle general contracting and construction management of the new detention center.
ECS Southeast will complete initial and supplemental subsurface explorations and geotechnical engineering analyzes of the project. Moseley Architects will perform the architectural work on the new detention center, ensuring the design meets modern safety and efficiency standards.
Land Planning Associatesan Easley-based civil consultant will carry out the necessary land planning and site development studies. Fooddesign Associates of Charlotte, North Carolina, A food services and laundry consultant will review the facility’s dietary and laundry needs to ensure the center has state-of-the-art kitchens and laundry areas.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
Photographer Ken Ruinar contributed to this article
Travis Rose covers Anderson County for the Independent Mail. Contact him by email at trose@gannett.com.
This article was originally published in the Anderson Independent Mail: Anderson County plans to build new $83 million detention center
