Take a look inside the new Minnehaha County Jail

The expansion of the Minnehaha County Jail is nearly complete, and county leaders are looking forward to what the improvements will mean for inmates, staff and the local criminal justice process overall. 

The $48 million project came in about $1 million to 1.5 million under budget and ahead of schedule: a pleasant surprise for county leaders.

That’s largely due to years of experience between the county and jail staff, and a consistent flow of knowledge, said Carol Muller with the Minnehaha County Commission office. 

Using a construction manager at risk saved the county “significant dollars,” Muller said, because costs were consistently being reviewed through the design process. 

“The county had a budget and there was no flexibility to spend any more dollars,” she said.

Those savings allowed the county to add additional security measures and an in-jail courtroom. Read the full story.