Crook County inmates take a walk, move to new jail

(Update: Adding details about number of inmates in Crook, Jefferson counties, capacity)

It was an unusual venture outside for nearly 20 Crook County Jail inmates Monday evening, as deputies accompanied them in a walk from the old, cramped county jail to the new, recently completed one.

Around 6 p.m., all of the inmates were moved from the old jail, walked across the street and processed into the new facility, ” after many weeks of waiting, ” Sheriff John Gautney said.

” The entire process took about two hours, until everyone was processed and lodged in the new facility, ” Gautney said in a news release Tuesday.

Gautney said a total of 19 inmates were moved from the old 16-bed jail (which had holding cells for overflow) to the new, 85-bed facility.

Once staff finishes adjusting to the new facility, Crook County will bring back the inmates they’ve housed in rented space at the Jefferson County Jail for more than 15 years due to the crowded conditions in the old facility.

The 26 inmates currently housed in Jefferson County will be moved some time in the next couple of weeks, he said.

” The new jail will have about 65 inmates for operating capacity and a total of 85 beds, ” Gautney said. ” So the daily population can fluctuate, depending on the need. ”

In 2016, Crook County voters approved a $10 million bond toward building a new jail, covering most of the $17 million project’s cost. The sheriff’s office broke ground on the new facility about two years ago.

” This was a historical event for Crook County, with the closing of the old facility that has been used as a jail since 1968, ” Gautney wrote. ” The new facility is a modern facility, with technology to assist corrections staff with safety and security of the facility and staff, as well as the inmates. ”

” Over the next few weeks, we will be housing all Crook County inmates in the new facility, ” Gautney wrote. ” This has been long overdue for Crook County, and the community should be proud of this new facility that you have provided for. ”

The Prineville Police Department and county 911 remain in the building housing the old jail, which is owned by the city, Gautney said.

Prineville Police Chief Dale Cummins said Tuesday his department also is planning to move out of the more than 60-year-old building within a year or two, so ” I have no plans to do anything with the old jail space at this time. ”

The costs of potential renovation of the building mounted, so the city has bought a former medical building about a half-mile away, on Northeast Elm Street, with a $4 million loan, acquired without additional taxes.