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Work On Jail Facility Is Almost Complete

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By LISA A. DAVIS, The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 1, 2008

Updated: 01/31/2008 09:44 pm

LAND O' LAKES - Even a tornado can't keep a good jail down.

Less than two months after an EF-1 tornado tore through the central jail complex, off Land O' Lakes Boulevard, the final touches were being made Thursday on the newly erected structure, replacing the one destroyed in the early morning hours of Dec. 16.

Sheriff's officials were hoping to have the certificate of occupancy from the county in hand by this morning, possibly opening the doors to displaced inmates today.

"We're ready to roll," said Maj. Brian Head, who oversees jail operations.

Moments before the tornado touched down, ripping apart the aluminum and plastic-coated, tent-like structure, jail staff safely evacuated inmates from the facility, as well as from the adjacent similarly constructed dome-like building. The temporary facilities - one housing women, the other men - were erected to ease crowding while a permanent building has been in the works.

The high, rotating winds destroyed the women's building and damaged the men's.

Once the twister passed, jail officials made arrangements to move the inmates to other jails outside the county. Most of the men had been returned or released by Thursday. Between 50 and 80 women remain in Hernando County Jail and will soon be moved back to Pasco, Head said. It costs about $56 per day for each inmate to be housed there, he added.

In recent weeks, contractors built the shell of the 8,000-square-foot building but inmates have done much of the inside labor, including helping install flooring, painting and other tasks. Six to eight inmates worked full days on the project, Head said, saving the county a "substantial amount" of money, he said.

A security fence has been put up around the facility. New carpet blankets the floor, air conditioning and heating systems are installed, fire sprinklers are in place, as is emergency lighting. The storage containers used as bathroom facilities in the previous building have been refurbished and placed inside the new facility. Security cameras were still being installed Thursday.

Page said he is pleased with the progress and the cooperation of all involved.

"It took coordination out of all the county entities," he said. "Everyone had to drop their egos and focus on the task and rebuild this."

The total cost to rebuild the structure was between $1.2 and $1.3 million, Sheriff Bob White said.

It is basically the same structure as the one destroyed, but with a few improvements such as more insulation, a better air system and stronger flooring. There's not much more reinforcement that can be done to this structure, officials have said.

"I would suspect there's very little you can do to make it more safe," White said.

Repairs have also been made to the men's facility and it should soon be move-in ready, Head said.

A permanent structure is becoming closer to reality. The $17.8 million jail expansion should break ground in the next couple of months. Expected to be completed about 16 months after work begins, the brick-and-mortar building will house minimum-security inmates. The temporary facilities will be taken down.

Reporter Lisa A. Davis can be reached at (727) 815-1083 or ldavis@tampatrib.com.

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