Breaking Ground and Building Hope: Watertown’s New $37M Jail Promises Safety and Efficiency

Описание: 🏗️ Big Things are Happening for Codington County! 🏗️

The skyline in Watertown is officially changing! We recently caught up with Commissioner Lee Gabel and Sheriff Brad Howell to get the latest update on the new $37.4 million Justice Center—and the progress is incredible!

Why a new facility? It’s all about safety and efficiency:

A Clearer View: The new "podular" design allows staff to see into all housing areas from one central booth, moving away from the blind corridors of our 1970s-era jail.

Assault Prevention: Improved visibility means our team can spot potential "beefs" before they escalate, keeping both staff and inmates safer.

Smarter Court Dates: Built-in ITV (Interactive TV) rooms will allow inmates to appear in court via video, cutting down on risky and expensive transports downtown.

Future-Ready: While starting with 108 beds, we’ve "shelled-in" space to expand easily as our community grows—saving taxpayer dollars in the long run.

From the high-tech precast walls to the specialized local contractors, this project is built to serve Codington County for decades to come.

🎥 Want to see it happen in real-time? You can watch the 24/7 live construction webcam to see every new panel go up!

#WatertownSD #CodingtonCounty #PublicSafety #CommunityProgress #JusticeCenterUpdate