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Completion of new trusty building celebrated Monday -
Completion of new trusty building celebrated Monday -
(Above)Hopkins County Sheriff Lewis Tatum cuts the ribbon signaling the completion of the new jail trusty facility, located across the street from the current law enforcement center at 205 Houston St. (Far left) Center where an HCSO officer will monitor the new facility. (Left) Finishing touches are in progress at the facility, with jail trusties slated to begin moving into the new 48-bed facility either Wednesday or Thursday of this week. Staff photos by Faith Huffman
| Ribbon Cutting
Approximately 75 county officials, chamber members and community members attended the grand opening and ribbon cutting for Hopkins County Sheriff 's Office's new jail trusty facility.
The building has been under construction for about a year.
Hopkins County Sheriff Lewis Tatum pointed out that no tax dollars were used in the construction of the building. Hopkins County received some American Relief Funding which was used primarily to construct the new jail for the inmates designated trusties, and given work assignments at the jail, county officers and around the comunity.
Tatum noted that while the project was budgeted at more than $4 million, and all bills have yet to come in, it is expected to finish under budget overall.
The facility will have two rooms with bunks with soft mattresses, and a third room with a dozen more beds, for a total of 48 beds which trusty inmates may occupy at any given time. They have a few washing machines and dryers.
At the front side of the facility, inmate trusties may be picked up and returned after work detail. Before returning to their jailbunks, the trusties can be searched in a few stalls. While the facility does not have a kitchen, there is a warming station, where food can be warmed up for trusties.
While there's a station from which one officer will monitor onsite, the facility is linked to and can be controlled from the jail.
An education room will allow trusties to receive job training or take educational courses such as GED classes.