A project to build a new Saline County Jail took a big step forward Wednesday morning. Officials gathered to officially break ground on the project.

The new jail project was approved by voters last November. A one-half percent sales tax to help pay for the new building was enacted on April 1st.

Plans for the new jail include:

• Facility will be 392 beds. A consultant projected that by 2038 the average daily population would be over 400.
• Will have dedicated medical areas for males and females and dedicated areas for those that need mental health care.
• Expanded program space to add programs to help with rehabilitation and re-entry.
• Space for dedicated program staff with the potential to add facility specific social worker or mental health professional.
• Energy efficient, utilities that are more accessible for repairs, staff efficiencies.
• 49 additional full-time staff will be needed to run the facility at full capacity, the Jail already employs 55 people.
• Includes a new Sheriff’s Office space for Administration, Patrol, Investigations, and Records.

A letter has been received from the North Central Kansas Regional Juvenile Detention Facility, expressing interest in transforming the 1995 portion of the jail into a juvenile center run by them.

Following the Groundbreaking, site grading and construction work is set to begin in mid-November, with an estimated completion date of September 2023.

Saline County Sheriff Roger Soldan speaks at the ground breaking event.