On Monday, the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office held an open house inside the newly refurbished Unit One at the Chatham County Detention Center.
The work has completely transformed the 32-year-old unit with new epoxy flooring, removing the old tile that could have been used as a weapon and swapping out fragile porcelain fixtures with more durable stainless steel ones. With nearly 60 inmates moving around each wing daily, wear and tear can be a struggle to maintain and repair, and, over time, can become a major health concern, such as the case with Fulton County's jail.
“You’ve got to stay on top of it and your county commissioners and county managers got to be able to help you do things,” said Sheriff John T. Wilcher. “They have super jails up there (in Fulton County). I can hold 2,433; they can hold 4,000 to 4,500 up there. Fortunately, by the grace of God, they gave me the money to do this and we’re going to do (Units) two, three, and four and they’ll last another 30 years.”
Credit: Richard Burkhart/Savannah Morning News
Credit: Richard Burkhart/Savannah Morning News
Savannah Mayor Van Johnson, who has spent time working at the detention center, says the lighting is one of the biggest improvements. “The light is really, really, important. I think light really deals with your psychological well-being, and so, this is infinitely brighter. It’s using a different type of technology than the old long bulb lights. We’re just doing things better. Obviously more energy efficient.”
Unit One consists of four wings. Each wing has video calling stations, as well as kiosks with personal tablets, that can be used for access to inmate programs, video visitation, email, multimedia and the law library. One of the wings will be dedicated for inmates with mental health needs and have a full-time counselor on hand.
Credit: Richard Burkhart/Savannah Morning News
Credit: Richard Burkhart/Savannah Morning News
Aside from the technological and safety upgrades, each wing is also uniquely decorated with art designed by Public Information Officer Parla Parker, who is a graduate of the Savannah College of Art and Design. “A lot of thought went into the colors, the design, the longevity of it. Didn’t want anything trendy but wanted something that the inmates, during their time here could take with them. Something that’s calming, relaxing. The better the mental health and well-being of the inmates, the safer our staff remains.”
Richard Burkhart is the visual journalist for Savannah Morning News. You can reach him at rbburkhart@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Chatham County Detention Center makes $1.4M in upgrades to 32-year-old unit
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