Lee County Commissioners Agree to Plan for New Detention Center

Lee County: The commissioners have decided to kick off plans for a new detention center. They made this call during their recent retreat, where they reviewed last year’s progress and set goals for 2025.

The current jail and sheriff’s office building was a hot topic. Officials shared that the facility, built back in 1992, doesn’t meet today’s safety standards. A study from last year pointed out several code violations that need fixing.

Sheriff Brian Estes highlighted the challenges they face. The jail is cramped, making it tough to keep inmates involved in the same case separate. For instance, he mentioned a robbery case where four suspects shouldn’t be housed together.

Right now, they have six beds at the Central Prison in Raleigh, but those are in the general population, which isn’t safe for the inmates. Plus, during the pandemic, they struggled to isolate sick individuals.

The jail is meant for about 90 inmates, but they currently have 121, including 21 charged with murder. Some have been waiting since 2020 due to court delays caused by COVID-19.

The commissioners looked at three options: do nothing, expand the current jail, or build a new facility. They informally agreed on the last option, which could be done in phases.

County Manager Lisa Minter estimated that a new building would cost around $87 million, and finding a suitable site could take up to a year.