May 06, 2008 04:25 pm
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Galen Scott
gscott@weatherforddemocrat.com
Parker County Sheriff Larry Fowler, along with County Judge Mark Riley and the Commissioners Court, are inviting the public to an open house event at the recently completed expansion of the Parker County Jail from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday.
The $14 million expansion is designed to provide approximately 400 beds, up from 170, the jail’s previous capacity. With the addition, Parker County will soon be housing all its own inmates, instead of outsourcing incarceration at increased expense.
“With phase one of the expansion completed we will begin occupying and operating the new facility immediately following the open house,” Fowler said in a statement released Tuesday.
The “Phase Two” remodeling of the current jail and administration areas, already underway, is expected to upgrade the original facility with a new booking area, new control room electronics and security features.
Remodeling the older portion of the county jail will also provide much needed office space for administration staff, which includes new records and property areas.
Crews started work on the expansion project in October 2006.
Parker County Commissioners agreed to hand control of the facility over to a private prison management company, Civigenics, in October 2007. According to Fowler, the transition was smooth and Civigenics is managing things effectively.
Initial construction schedules predicted the project would be completed by early 2008. Inspectors from the Texas Commission on Jail Standards gave a passing grade to the Parker County Jail in February.
For those unfamiliar with the Parker County pokey, the jail is located at 129 Hogle Street in Weatherford.
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