Lawrence County's Public Safety & Service Center

February 2025 | Eric Jennings, Lawrence County Commissioner Opinion Editorial, Black Hills Pioneer

The process of moving often inspires emotion. While organizing things, packing them into boxes, and sometimes letting go of items, emotions can range from happy to sad, excitement to dread, often determined by whether you are moving to a better situation than you are leaving. For the Lawrence County Public Safety departments, staff is busy packing up because moving day will soon be here, and while it is a lot of work, the facility they are moving into is far superior to the one they are leaving, meaning this is a happy move.  

The Public Safety & Service Center (PS&SC) is often referred to as the new jail. It does house the jail, but it also will house the 911 dispatch center, Sheriff offices, Emergency Management offices, and the Magistrate court. The $48+ million project is a large undertaking for Lawrence County. But honestly, it should have been built long ago. As far back as 1990, it was identified that the current jail was not adequate to house the number of inmates that it needs to. From the time an individual is brought in for booking to the time he/she is placed in a cell, they are led through narrow hallways, a small elevator, and closet sized rooms with current technology squeezed into them. Despite these issues, the decision was made at that time to remodel and add beds to accommodate the number of inmates served. Unfortunately, saving money was chosen over staff safety and prisoner security. I am not against saving money, but not at the expense of security and safety.     

As with all things, there is a life expectancy to the jail. The jail has exceeded its life expectancy. The elevator is too often not working, and prisoners are escorted to court using a less than secure stairway outside of the jail. The once sturdy cast iron sewer lines are now paper thin and prone to failure, and there is no need to explain the consequences of that. To put it bluntly, the old jail is not adequate, and it is only because of the dedicated and skilled corrections officers and sheriff deputies that we have gone this long without a major incident.   

More than just the jail, the PS&SC houses the currently overcrowded sheriff’s offices. With the population growth our county has experienced, the sheriff’s office has had to also grow. Space was needed for more office space and things that most of us don’t think about such as secure evidence storage rooms, interrogation rooms, and training rooms.

The dispatch center also had space concerns. Technology has grown since 1990 and has become an important tool for dispatch employees in an emergency. Having the latest technology at their fingertips can literally mean the difference between life and death. 

Having the Magistrate court in the same building will eliminate the need to transport prisoners for Magistrate court appearances. The new facility also offers separate areas for the accused and the victims of an offense. Until now, they were all in the same area without any barriers for protection from harm or intimidation. 

The PS&SC will serve the county’s needs for many years to come. It was built to accommodate future growth and designed for future expansion if required. Someday I hope we can better fund diversion and prevention programs, to deter crime, instead of incarcerating criminals. But until then, we have a facility that will accommodate the needs of our law enforcement, public safety, and courts.