WAVERLY -- When people needing to serve a jail sentence call the Waverly-Bremer County law center, sometimes they hear, "Call back."
Lack of cell space at the jail in Waverly has backed up some operations, Bremer County Sheriff Dewey Hildebrandt said.
About 120 are waiting to do their time, some with only days-long sentences. The sheriff's office also maintains about 300 active warrants. Each court day means more names, more sentences.
But the opening of a new jail next week will help some pay their debt to society sooner, Hildebrandt said, and eventually house inmates for other counties.
"The thing that makes us feel the best about this facility is space will be available," Hildebrandt said. "It will just be a welcome relief … "
The public can tour the new jail today at 111 Fourth St. NE from 1 to 4 p.m. Inmates in the existing Bremer County Jail will move in next week.
People are also reading…
"Now the public will have a chance to view it for themselves and see what's been going on for last many months," said Bremer County Supervisor Gaylord Hinderaker, a member of the Public Safety Board. "It's exciting."
Completion of the jail, along with an upgraded communications center, marks the end of Phase I. The second part of the project, scheduled for completion this year, includes renovating the existing law center, shared by the Waverly Police Department, for lab and administrative use. The $5.2 million project is funded by local option sales tax.
The new jail is built to hold 70 inmates but officials will only immediately open space for 35. The department isn't staffed to handle more. Current jail capacity is 11.
The layout and design of the hallways, rooms and cells increases safety by distancing visitors and staff from inmates. Also, jailers use a control power system to open cell doors instead of keys, assistant jail administrator Mary Muller said.
"It will be a more secure area," Muller said.
The county jail staff of five was doubled to accommodate the new facility.
Earlier this week, staff began moving items to ready for the transition. Jail staff underwent training and helped shine and polish the new quarters.
"We are all getting anxious to move," Muller said.
Tuesday night, the sheriff's department will transfer over to an upgraded communications system. During the changeover, emergency 911 calls will be rolled over to Butler County. Residents dialing the non-emergency number for the sheriff's office may not get through the first time.
If the system goes down it shouldn't be for long, the sheriff said.
"Actually, we are hoping it's minutes, not hours," Hildebrandt said. "We are trying to stay up for nearly the whole project."
Those needing to talk to a Bremer County deputy Tuesday after 6 p.m. can call (319) 240-5948.
Completion of the jail is a relief for the sheriff and deputies, who had hoped to move in in October 2004. The project's ground-breaking ceremony occurred in October 2003.
The project's complexity and scheduling issues delayed progress several times, Hildebrandt said. In June county supervisors terminated a contract with then construction manager PCS and Associates and instead hired general contractor Kehe Construction to manage renovations.
After years of planning, Hinderaker is glad the project, albeit incomplete, has taken form.
"We are anticipating kind of a new chapter in jail performance and history here," Hinderaker said.
Contact Karen Heinselman at (319) 291-1570 or karen.heinselman@wcfcourier.com.
