Saline County celebrates completion of new jail facility after decades of ongoing needs

As construction workers shook hands and exchanged greetings with government officials, Saline County Sheriff Roger Soldan stepped out into the cold October morning to welcome more visitors.

People pulling into the public parking lot of the new Saline County jail were greeted with his smile and directions on where to park. His breath created a fog as he spoke through the 28-degree breeze.

About 100 people gathered Tuesday at 800 Pacific Ave. in Salina to celebrate the opening of Saline County's state-of-the-art jail facility. Remarks were made by nearly everyone who helped turn an idea into reality, and the ceremony was capped off by a thanks for the public's $89 million investment and a ribbon cutting complete with giant scissors.

"I'm more excited about people getting an actual tour, than I am of the ribbon cutting," Soldan said.

The Saline County community celebrated on Halloween what began two years ago, when on Oct. 21, 2021, the Turner Construction crew broke ground on some old farmland in north Salina.

Since that time, the project kept within its voter-approved budget and finished within the original timeline for completion — a feat several public officials spoke about Tuesday.

"There's so much more that is available in the jail now," said Saline County Commissioner Bob Vidricksen. "Things that will help people with their troubles. ... There's a lot more to this than just incarceration here ... and I think those things really sold this project. I'm extremely proud to have played a small part in this with my fellow commissioners."

New Saline County Jail has been over a decade in the making

While the new jail broke ground two years ago, the process for solving ongoing needs at the Saline County Sheriff's Office has taken two sheriffs and more than a decade of work advocating for new space.

The late Glen Kochanowski and Soldan began advocating for a new jail back in 2011, but when bonds came to voters in 2014, they failed to pass.

"When I took office in 2017, I wanted to make sure the commissioners ... knew how much money we were having to spend out of county to solve problems," Soldan said.

And that's when the proposal took off. After a few more years of planning and advocacy, hiring an architect and construction crew, the voters approved a 1% sales tax increase in November 2020 to fund the $89.655 million project.

What exactly is new at the new jail?

Soldan and his officers have dealt with space constraints at the former jail for years now. The jail on 10th Street in Salina was built in the 1950s and has had repairs over the years, but new problems kept showing up, as they do with dated buildings that aren't equipped for changing practices in law enforcement.

The new jail, among other amenities, is equipped with space for various inmate rehabilitation programs. It's part of a goal the department has to reduce recidivism and, in Operations Capt. Jim Hughes' words, "help people leave the jail better than they found it."

The new jail increases capacity to 392 inmates, but a typical inmate count will likely sit at 260, with the highest around 290, Hughes said.

"The programs will help people who may be struggling with mental health, or aggressive behaviors and will be administered by professionals in those fields," Hughes said on a tour of the new facility Oct. 31.

The jail also has medical and special needs housing, modernized office space, recreation facilities and indoor areas with natural light components throughout the building. There is also a room open to the outside elements, which gives inmates a breath of fresh air, equipped with an extremely tall ceiling protected with fencing to prevent escape attempts.

Attorney-client meeting areas, a separate booking room and drive-up garage tall enough for buses are all part of the new facility to streamline efficiency.

Over the course of the next few weeks, staff will learn how to use the new detention facility's electronic system with remote door locks, surveillance cameras and other features that make the existing jail feel like a different world.

"At the old jail, we had cameras from the 1990s," Hughes said. "This is going to make so much of a difference."

Of course, there are a couple of things that are not new at the new jail. An old wooden portrait map of Kansas is hanging on the north wall in the lobby, and a set of vintage-looking jailhouse bars sit on the south end of the lobby near where officers check in for the day.

As they drop off their personal items in lockers, staff are forced to see those heavy iron bars, a makeshift statue reminding them of how far the Saline County Sheriff's Office, and law enforcement on the whole, has come.

Other chances to check out the new jail before it opens

There will be more public opportunities to tour the facility, including a Slumber in the Slammer event this Friday, Nov. 3. The public can pay $20 to get an in-depth tour and spend the night at the jail, giving staff a chance to operate the new technology and ensure things run smoothly.

Another tour of the facility will take place with the Salina Area Chamber of Commerce and other groups can reach out to the county to schedule one if they wish.

"(The new jail project) has been my life since the fall of 2017," Soldan said. "It's a full-time job ... I'm really looking forward to getting to be involved with my staff daily in this new space."

More: Saline County wanted to turn old jail into juvenile justice facility. Here's why it can't

Among other staff, Lt. Jeremiah Hayes unveiled a cornerstone plaque Tuesday commemorating the efforts of those who made the new facility a reality. Sunlight beamed through the huge window facade, nearly convincing squinting onlookers that it wasn't a cold fall morning.

Soldan then made his way to the south end of the lobby, where those old iron bars sat with a branded Saline County ribbon draped just behind them. Soldan opened the iron door and Vidricksen leaned over to cut the fabric.

And as it fell to the ground amid resounding applause, Soldan smiled ear to ear, the kind of smile only decades of work could achieve.

Kendrick Calfee has been a reporter with the Salina Journal since 2022. You can reach him at kcalfee@gannett.com or on X, formerly Twitter, @calfee_kc.

This article originally appeared on Salina Journal: Community celebrates Saline County Jail's completion with remarks, tours