Christian County Jail in need of improvements

TAYLORVILLE — According to Christian County Sheriff Bruce Kettelkamp, their jail is out-of-date and needs urgent improvements. The Christian County Correctional Center was built in 1977. It marks its 45th anniversary this year. The center also serves as the base of operations for the Christian County Sheriff’s Department. “When I became Sheriff in 2010, I realized the jail was poorly designed,” stated Kettelkamp in a news release Friday. “[It is also] becoming obsolete.” There were initial assessments to determine whether to make jail modifications. The other option on the table was to make plans for the construction of a new facility. Kettelkamp details the greatest expense for the department was the jail itself. It was because of these revelations that action is imminent. A referendum would fail last April by a large margin to construct a new jail. Among the concerns of voters were the construction costs and the creation of added burden on taxpayers. However, Kettelkamp, a Republican, won’t respect the decision of voters.

Sheriff to establish an advisory committee

Kettelkamp states that it should neither just be his opinion nor that of the Christian County Board. Therefore, he is forming an advisory committee inclusive of citizens and local officials. The committee will identify options, gather opinions, and evaluate funding alternatives among other efforts. A decision from the committee should arrive within the next few months, states the release. A copy of the release is below: Press Release announcement of the Jail Advisory Committee (002)

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