Sheriff’s Office Central Booking facility - Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

On July 20, 2012 I toured the newly renovated Central Booking facility.

After more than 18 months of construction activity in downtown Olathe, the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office Central Booking facility is almost ready to reopen.  The project involves the transformation and reconstruction of the former Olathe Adult Detention Center into a central booking location for suspects charged with a crime in Johnson County.  Central Booking operations are scheduled to start August 20, 2012.

A ceremonial ribbon-cutting celebration was held at 10 a.m. Friday, July 20, 2012. The public event featured a presentation of colors by the Sheriff’s Office Honor Guard, dedication speeches, and tours of the building.

I didn't attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony but here are some photos from the event that I borrowed from JCSO:

I did however tour the facility with a friend who is a local cop and wanted to see the booking area since she has not taken an arrestee there before.  The renovations really focused on the lobby, booking area, and inmate in-take & out-take areas.  The remainder of the tower where inmates are housed remained the same.  The booking area is quite spacious allowing for plenty of room for officers to complete paperwork and get their arrestee processed.  I have never been arrested and despite the nice accomodations, never want to be!  My friend and a deputy she was speaking with tried to talk me in to being strapped to the restraint chair.  Um, NO! 

The facility, located directly across Kansas Avenue west of the Johnson County Courthouse, will serve all police departments and public safety agencies in Johnson County. Law enforcement personnel will bring arrestees from their jurisdictions to be booked and processed before being either released on bond or housed at Central Booking or the Sheriff Office’s New Century Adult Detention Center while they remain in custody. More than 16,000 inmates are booked and processed annually by the Sheriff’s Office.

Renovation of the former Olathe Adult Detention Center into the new Central Booking facility began in January 2010 when all inmates and jail staff were transferred to the Adult Detention Center at the Fred Allenbrand Criminal Justice Complex at the New Century AirCenter located at the northeast edge of Gardner. That jail facility was expanded by 554 beds in 2009 to its current capacity of 818 beds.

The closing of the inmate holding component of the downtown Olathe jail was the first step towards the major renovation of the public safety facility which opened in August 1988.

The project is now tracking for LEEDTM certification, possibly a Silver rating, from the United States Green Building Council under the council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEEDTM) Green Building Rating System. LEEDTM certification is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high performance sustainable buildings. Once certified, it will be among only a few LEEDTM-certified detention facilities in the nation. Johnson County currently has three LEEDTM Gold buildings and one LEEDTM Platinum building.

More pictures from the new Booking Facility:

Looking from the North

Main Entrance for visitors

Another view of main entrance

View from the South

Another view from the South

 

Nice door handle...

Lobby just inside main entrance

 

Lobby ceiling

Lobby inside main command area

Main Command

Another view of Main Command area

 

A view I never want to see unvoluntarily...

Inside one of the prison modulars.  This is the command center for the modular where the deputy sits when not engaging with an inmate on the floor.  It's an open modular system allowing the deputy to interact with inmates.  Inmates are to stay behind the red line at all times and are not allowed to approach the deputy while behind the desk.

Another view from inside the modular. 
 

 Photos are from JCSO.  I forgot to take pics when I toured, doh!!!  I've said it before but it bears repeating... nice place to visit but I wouldn't want to be a guest!