Still Issues at New OC Detention Center

Construction is complete on the new Oconee County Detention Center but full operations have yet to begin there, explains Oconee County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Jimmy Watt. “We have not begun full time operations at the new detention center. It is my understanding that apparently there may be a couple of issues that we are trying to get worked out, so before we move into the new facility, we want to make sure that everything is ready to go. Obviously for security reasons, we are not releasing the official time and date that the detention center will be open for full operations but as Sheriff Crenshaw says, we’ve got the letter from the Department of Corrections and we can begin those operations but once again just trying to clear up a couple of things and I think the opening of the detention center will be probably a lot sooner than people think.” The new two-story facility sits on land between the Law Enforcement Center and Westview Cemetery in Walhalla. The Oconee County Detention Center has 200 beds with the capability to increase to 240 beds in emergencies. Everything is enclosed, including the recreation areas for inmates.