Wichita County transfers inmates from two old jails to new law enforcement center

For the first time in 135 years, there are no jail inmates housed at or near the Wichita County Courthouse.

This weekend the Wichita County Sheriff’s Office transferred the approximately 500 inmates currently in custody in the two old jails to the new Law Enforcement Center off Central Freeway.

Sherriff David Duke said Monday at the Wichita County Commissioners meeting that the relocation was conducted over the course of about 12 hours with groups of 40-50 inmates at a time.

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Jail inmates were moved from the downtown courthouse jail and the Sprague Annex.

Duke said the transfer went about “99 percent” smoothly with only a couple instances where inmates fought or resisted.

The jail staff, some deputies and the SWAT team worked together to complete the move, the sheriff said.

Duke said with the 500 inmates taking showers and flushing toilets, there was some plumbing issues that caused some drainage to backup into a classroom.

Read more: Waiver moves new jail closer to opening

Duke said walking through the downtown jail once it sat empty was a surreal experience. Aside from a mesh barrier on the barred doors, he said little had changed since he began his law enforcement career there when he was 18 years old.

Both the downtown jail and Sprague Annex are decades old and were in constant need of repair.

A $70-million bond was approved by voters in 2017 for the new LEC.

The 188,000-square foot building can house up to 700 inmates and includes a full kitchen, infirmary, large sally port, larger book-in area, visitors center, Sheriff's Office rooms and improved facilities for jail staff.

The building was completed in early 2021 and passed the state jail inspection in late August 2021. The Sheriff's Office moved into the front of the facility a few months ago, saying inmates would be moved at a later, undisclosed date for safety reasons.

Along with a new building, the LEC will have a completely different system of inmate management that includes a more open concept that is proven to have positive results in other counties.

Duke said when comparing the old jails with the new one, it was going to be a “whole different ball game.”

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Along with the transfer of current inmates, Duke said law enforcement officers also brought in the first new inmate to the LEC. While in the past, officers had to wait around for hours for inmate processing, the new system, Duke said, allowed these officers to drop off the inmate and go about their business within 15 minutes.

As a symbolic closing of the two old facilities, Duke presented each of the county commissioners and County Judge Woody Gossom with one of the keys to the old, now-empty downtown jail.

Duke said the Texas Jail Commission will be notified of the inmate transfer and the county will have an official decommissioning of the two old jail facilities in the near future.

Due to some health restrictions, jail visitation is expected to be back on track some time next week.

Read more: Law enforcement center to be completed by 2021

See photos: Law enforcement center progress tour

This article originally appeared on Wichita Falls Times Record News: Wichita County transfers inmates to new law enforcement center