Sheriff: County 'proud parents' of new jail

ST. CHARLES TOWNSHIP -- Several judges, government attorneys, county board members and senior law enforcement officials found themselves in jail Friday.

No, there wasn't a corruption scandal unearthed. They were there to tour the county's pet project of the last two years -- the new correctional facility and sheriff's office west of Geneva on Route 38.

It's surely the last time anyone will see Kane's dignitaries strolling those hallways, laughing and nibbling on sandwiches, but the celebration was in order, they said.

"Kane County is one of the fastest-growing counties in the nation," Sheriff Pat Perez told the large crowd attending Friday morning's ribbon-cutting ceremony. "The completion of this project shows the forward thinking of the county government. We're all proud to call this facility home, and we're all showing it off like proud parents."

Officials called the new 640-bed, $56 million facility a dramatic improvement over the existing jail. The project was finished on time and a projected $2 million under budget, officials said.

Each of 10 housing units has bed space for 64 inmates and is centered around a communal area. Doors and other security measures are controlled by an officer posted inside the unit, allowing for round-the-clock direct supervision and decentralized services. There are few control panels. Officers can operate an entire housing unit using a personal digital assistant.

Officers in a central control room can take over operations of any and all housing unit doors, cell doors and elevators in case of an emergency.

Officials said the old jail on Fabyan Parkway in Geneva posed security problems such as long hallways, blind spots and frequent busing of inmates for court dates.

"When the officer leaves, the inmates are in charge" at the old jail, because the layout does not allow for constant, direct supervision, Corrections Cmdr. Pat Keaty told reporters during the tour. "Here, the officers are always in charge."

While Kane's jail already is over capacity -- the county had 676 inmates as of Friday morning -- the new jail includes shell space for the addition of 128 more beds in the future.

According to 16th Circuit Chief Judge Donald Hudson, who also addressed the crowd, beneath all the facility's bells and whistles lies its true function for the community.

"A jail, of course, may represent many things to many people," Hudson said. "For some it might be a place of punishment, for some a place of broken dreams. But ultimately a jail exists for the protection of the public."

Comment at suburbanchicagonews.com