New Oconee jail opens for business!

The new Oconee Detention Center, built at a guaranteed price of $16.2 million, went into operation today—about eight months after Sheriff Mike Crenshaw had hoped.  Grading operations for the new jail began in the spring of 2014.  Inmates were moved from the old jail and are now housed in the new one.  Crenshaw has given a faith-based group the go ahead to use much of the old detention center as a facility for help and rehabilitate former prisoners and those in the community in need of help.  In late November the Sheriff’s Office received a letter, stating the new jail had passed inspection.  The new penal facility is rated for an inmate population of 200; the old one, 122.  If the need arises, for a brief time, the inmate population at the new jail can be increased to 240.  The new jail is equipped with new technology, but Crenshaw has said it is no kind of a resort.  There is no TV, no face-to-face visitation, no smoking, and once someone comes in as a prisoner, his or her’s only view of the outside world will be a view of the sky. Visitation will be done over video, but those visits must be scheduled and held Monday-thru-Friday only.  For those who want to arrange a video visit with an inmate, appointments will be taken starting Monday by Shadae Cobb, visitation office.