The new jail and justice center in downtown Austin has received its fair share of criticism, but when completed, the building certainly will be an upgrade.

The roughly $29 million, 128-bed project features slightly larger cells — and more of them — then the current facility, more workout space and an improved kitchen.

By comparison, Mower County Sheriff Terese Amazi said the current 35-bed jail is outdated and falling apart, and space constraints have led the county to board prisoners elsewhere — at a cost to the county.

The new jail will be larger than the current facility in a number of areas:

The new jail is planned to have 78 cells and a total of 128 beds (current jail has about 15 cells, a few “dorms” and operates at a 35-bed capacity, Amazi said).

These new cells will be an average of 7 feet by 10 feet (the existing cells are about 10 square feet smaller).

There will be 11 “dayrooms,” which will have phones, tables, TVs and sinks (there are four dayrooms now).

Two teaching rooms, which will have computers and other educational materials, will go up. These might have Internet access (current jail has one teaching room with computers but no Internet, Amazi said).

Lastly, three exercise rooms will be built, which will have weights and basketball hoops (there is one exercise room currently with weights but no hoops).

As far as food, county coordinator Craig Oscarson said what is served is often determined by state mandate — so the larger kitchen will not be making substantially different meals.

County officials

support the project

Local officials have stood behind the project, which they have maintained will make the county’s jail and legal system much safer and more efficient.

Because the state department of corrections downgraded the current facility to a 90-day lockup, prisoners must be housed in other counties — a problem that adds costs and security issues when transporting criminals.

The new facility shouldn’t have a space problem — it’s being built with room to expand up to a total of 248 beds, Oscarson said, to minimize potential costs in the future if further expansion is necessary.

Oscarson has also said the project — which is being paid for by county bonding — is meeting its budget.

…but some residents oppose it

Despite claims that the new jail will reduce costs in boarding out prisoners —making Mower County safer and more efficient — not everyone is convinced.

A number of residents put forth a petition to the county board in March, opposing the project.

The petition called for a referendum on the issuance of bonds to fund the jail and justice center project.

That request has been rebuffed numerous times — county attorney Kristen Nelsen has maintained that the county is not legally required to hold a referendum on the issue.

“It is Mower County’s position that we have complied with the statutes,” Nelsen noted in a letter dated May 20.

Rural Waltham resident Jim Hartson, who unsuccessfully lobbied the board on this issue in late-April, remains unconvinced.

“I’m not against the jail,” he said during a June county board meeting. “I’m just for doing it right.”

Still going forward

Though there has been some back-and-forth on the new jail and justice center, the project is still slated for completion in July 2010.

Work is progressing quickly inside the building, with the shape of many of the cells beginning to form.

And though the floors are still sand and the north end of the building —where jail support, such as the kitchen and laundry room, will be housed — hasn’t left the ground, much work is yet to be done before winter.

That includes construction with pre-cast walls, which are being shipped in from Des Moines, Iowa, and hoisted into place with a large, red crane that is visible throughout the downtown area.