New Crook County Jail Wraps Construction in Oregon

By Roxanne Squires

PRINEVILLE, Ore. — The new Crook County Jail is close to opening its doors as architect DLR Group and general contractor Kirby Nagelhout Construction Company have completed the new correctional facility on schedule.

The new facility replaces the previous 40-year-old, 16-bed jail, and will hold approximately 75 beds with several different inmate classification housing areas and space for inmate programs to help reduce recidivism.

According to KBND News, Undersheriff, James Savage said that the new jail is being built with new features to keep inmates from re-offending, explaining that the new facility will allow for programs to teach work skills to possess upon release, decreasing the chances of reoffending.

“You know, it’s not just ‘lock them up and feed them three times a day.’ We are trying to get some productivity out of them while they’re in, and so when they go out, they won’t come back in,” Savage told KBND.

Currently, most Crook County inmates are housed in the Jefferson County jail, through a lease agreement. That arrangement will end once the new facility opens in Prineville and inmates are transferred back toCrook County.

The $17 million, 31,000-square-foot Correction Facility has been constructed adjacent to the existing Sheriff’s Office and County and City owned property. The project was made possible by the passing of a construction bond in the November 2016 election.

The new county jail will house both male and female inmates, and will also offer programs for drug rehabilitation and mental health programs as well as GED programs.

The construction team broke ground on the new facility in September 2017 and will open by the end of December 2018.

Reports from KBND News contributed to this story.