T-L Photo/ROBERT A. DEFRANK Ohio Sen. Frank Hoagland, R-Mingo Junction, from left, Harrison County Sheriff Joe Myers, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and Ohio Rep. Don Jones, R-Freeport, speak at the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office on Friday. The county is receiving $9.1 million from the state for construction of a new jail.

CADIZ — Harrison County is receiving $9.1 million from the state of Ohio for construction of a new, more modern jail.

Gov. Mike DeWine stopped by the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office on Friday to make the official announcement. The money comes from $50 million allocated through Ohio Senate Bill 310, which distributes federal COVID-19 relief funding to local entities.

“We’ve been concerned for some time about some of the jails around the state,” DeWine said. He noted that many Ohio jails are older facilities that were constructed prior to current standards being enacted.

“Frankly the rules and regulations … that exist today are fundamentally different than they were when the jails were built,” DeWine said. “And the need today for programming, especially in the area of mental health in the area of drug addiction, really kind of changes what they need to do in these jails.”

DeWine has been traveling to various counties throughout the week making similar announcements about jails and water infrastructure. Coshocton County is receiving $10.1 million, Gallia County $5.5 million and Lawrence County $16.8 million for jail projects.

Harrison County’s current jail facility dates from 1925 and is one of the oldest in the state. It can only house up to eight inmates, forcing the county to house offenders in other counties’ facilities. In 2019, the county spent $170,000 on housing inmates in jails in Muskingum, Monroe, Jefferson, Mahoning and Stark counties.

DeWine also noted the cost in terms of the officers’ time on duty.

“Any time you transport a prisoner, that means that officer, that sheriff’s deputy is not doing something else. They’re not on the road,” DeWine said. “It’s expensive to transport prisoners, but the real cost is in people.”

Harrison County Sheriff Joe Myers said the new facility will be built at the former SSG George J. Conaway U.S. Army Reserve Center property along East Market Street in Cadiz. It will have 60 beds among six different housing units for separation and classification, a full-service kitchen and laundry and two sally ports for transport and reception, as well as a visitation unit.

“The facility will have program areas for mental health, drug and alcohol dependency, as well as other classrooms for further education,” Myers said.

The estimated $15 million project includes renovations to the current reserve center building, which will house the sheriff’s offices, and the construction of a new jail facility that will be built behind the center.

“This announcement has come at the right time for the taxpayers of Harrison County,” Myers said. “We have been pulling deputies off the road to provide transport to inmates all over the eastern side of the county. … With this generous funding opportunity, we can build a state-of-the-art facility.”

Myers also commended the Harrison County Community Improvement Corp., the prosecutor’s office, the county commissioners, common pleas Judge Shawn Hervey, juvenile court Judge Matthew Puskarich, retired common pleas Judge Michael Nunner, late common pleas Judge Mark Beetham, Clerk of Courts Leslie Milliken, Treasurer Vicki Sefsick, Ohio Rep. Don Jones, R-Freeport, and Ohio Sen. Frank Hoagland, R-Mingo Junction.

Jones said this has been a longtime need. He recalled his career in teaching, when he noticed a school resource officer was unable to patrol the halls because he had to transport an inmate.

“It has taken a lot to get to where we are today,” Jones said. He added the lack of jail facilities complicated the ability of law enforcement and judges to conduct their duties.

Hoagland commended Myers’ leadership in spearheading the project.

“The sheriff is totally focused on making sure that we got this done,” Hoagland said.

“It is definitely a need for Harrison County,” Commissioner Paul Coffland said, noting that an architectural firm is working on designing the building.

Myers said he hopes ground might be broken in January. Coffland hopes to see the project completed in possibly two years. The total projected cost is $13-$15 million. The commissioners have applied for a low-interest loan from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Coffland said having local funding available will likely make up the difference.

“We’ve looked at the possibility of what the county could put in up front,” he said. “Now that we know we’re going to get $9.1 million, we’ll be able to put off some of those decisions.”