New jail now ready for occupancy

The opening of Oconee’s new jail is in delay no more!  The Sheriff’s Office this afternoon announced a letter from the state Department of Corrections indicates the jail passed inspection and is ready for full-time use.  Before the transition is made from the old jail to the new, Sheriff Mike Crenshaw extends an invitation to Oconeeans to come and see it. Crenshaw says, “Part of the reason the Sheriff’s Office wanted to do this is to dispel any rumors or false information that may be out there regarding what kind of facility this is. The jail has some state of the art technology and I believe it will be a safer facility for our inmate population and for our Detention Officers.  However, this Detention Center is not a resort or a place where there is cable television in every cell.  This is a place to safely detain those who have broken the law.  There will be no television, no face to face visitation, no smoking, and once someone comes in the jail as a prisoner, their only view of the outside world will be a view of the sky.”  The open house dates are Tuesday, December 8 – 10 a-m until 12 p-m and 3:00 p-m  until 6 p-m; Wednesday, December 9 – from 10 a-m until 2:00 p-m; and Sunday, December 13 – 2:00 p-m until 5 p-m.