County officials and law enforcement personnel gathered at the site of the former Fannin County Jail at 725 County Road 4200 to officially reopen the Fannin County Law Enforcement Center.
For all practical purposes, the 96-bed facility will be a south annex to the 432-bed Fannin County Jail on Silo Road and its purpose will be to house local prisoners.
Community Education Centers, Inc. (CEC), the private company that operates the 32-bed Fannin County Jail, will also operate the Fannin County Law Enforcement Center.
Warden Alan Ballard welcomed guests to the facility Thursday morning.
"We expect to be operational November 1," Warden Ballard predicts. "We are currently awaiting inspection by [Texas Commission on] Jail Standards, which we expect to pass with flying colors.
"This is a big deal for Fannin County," remarked Fannin County Judge Spanky Carter.
The 96-bed jail has been vacant since 2009, although taxpayers are on the hook through 2018. Fannin County sent in a principle/interest payment of $173,100 in September for the former county jail. In 2013, that annual payment will go up to $314,550.
Resolving this issue has been a top priority of Judge Carter since he took office.
Depending upon level of occupancy, this new contract for Fannin County Law Enforcement Center should be worth between $200,000 and $300,000 to the county annually.
Carter repeatedly expressed appreciation to CEC for being willing to work out a contract that is favorable to Fannin County.
In addition, CEC is expected to add 17-18 new workers to staff the jail.
Fannin County also has an even older jail located in downtown Bonham awaiting its fate. Windows have been removed from the structure, asbestos abatement has been completed and Fannin County Commissioners Court voted slightly more than a year ago to demolish the structure.
