KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Jackson County leaders celebrated the completion of the new detention facility with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday.
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The jail complex can hold up to 1,000 inmates, with the potential to expand if needed, according to previous reporting from KSHB 41 News.
Construction began in the summer of 2023 after the site was finalized in 2021, per Jackson County Detention Center’s website.
The plan for the new detention center came after years of safety and sanitation problems at the old facility.
At the ribbon cutting, Jackson County Executive Phil LeVota referred to the center as “justice with dignity.”
“We went from a debacle of our old jail. It’s just an old facility — it wore out its time and we needed a new facility,” LeVota said Thursday.
LeVota also boasted about the center's bright hallways and how much sunlight enters the building.
Along with the cosmetic upgrades, the new detention center will provide counseling and resources for inmates getting out of jail.
Officials said staff are training at the new facility, and inmates are set to be moved in the coming months.
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