An open house and ribbon cutting for the new Wayne County Detention Center was held over-the-weekend.
The $9.4 million detention facility will help with overcrowding and the need for more jail cells.
The new facility was named for the late, longtime Sheriff Carey A. Winders who served from 1994 until his death in 2014. The facility was completed under the direction of current Sheriff Larry Pierce.
Community leaders and law enforcement representatives from surrounding counties, including Johnston County Sheriff Steve Bizzell, attended the formal ribbon cutting for the new Wayne County Detention Center.
“As many of you are aware, overcrowding has caused Wayne County to farm out inmates at the cost of $50 a day or close to $1 million dollars a year. We just could not sustain these cost and conditions any longer. So we took action,” stated Bill Pate, Chairman of the Wayne County Board of Commissioners.
The 38,917 square foot pre-trial detention center includes 221 beds with core spaces for 250. It also includes a medical area with treatment rooms and a pharmacy.
Inmates are expected to start populating the new jail within the next three to four weeks. Photos by John Payne
