Anderson County Discussing New Detention Center

During Tuesday night’s Anderson County Council meeting, members discussed plans for a new detention center and approved a related contract. The current detention center, opened in 1956, is one of South Carolina’s oldest and houses 450 to 500 inmates despite a state-approved capacity of only 240, leading to severe overcrowding. The new facility will create behavior-based housing units, allowing well-behaved inmates more time outside cells and reintroducing programs like AA meetings and educational learning, which were limited due to overcrowding and safety concerns. The council approved a Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) contract for the project.