ASHEBORO N.C. (RCSO) – Community leaders, citizens and law enforcement representatives are invited to attend an open house for the jail expansion at 3:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, June 27. Tours of the expansion, led by staff members, will be offered to all citizens until 5:00 p.m. Citizens will not come in contact with anyone currently confined at the facility.
The jail expansion was approved to address inmate overcrowding and the ultimate need for additional, individual cells to better manage the inmate population. The expansion was completed under the direction of current Sheriff Greg Seabolt and the Randolph County Board of Commissioners.
The jail expansion was in response to the state jail inspector’s orders to reduce the number of inmates housed at the detention center. The continued inmate overcrowding over the past decade forced Randolph County to house inmates in detention centers in neighboring counties at the cost of $55 a day per inmate in lieu of paying state imposed fines for continued inmate overcrowding.
The current Randolph County Detention Center was opened in May 1997 with 198 beds. The expansion will increase the inmate capacity to 422, increasing the facility to 101,091 square foot.
The current inmate population will be moved to the new housing units by the end of June, pending final state inspections. After that transition, renovations will begin on the existing housing units to address safety and security issues.
Renovations will subsequently be made to the existing kitchen, laundry facility and booking/intake area to accommodate a larger inmate population. The renovations are expected to be completed within 18 months.
Citizens are encouraged to take this opportunity to tour the facility and meet the incredibly dedicated Randolph County Detention Center Staff. Staff members will be available to give tours to citizens, answer questions and explain the daily operations of the detention center.
NOTE: Photography is not allowed during the open house tour.
Source: Randolph County Sherriff’s Office – Press Release