Bourbon County Jail Opens for Tours

Fort Scott, KS – Since the elections for Bourbon County where Bill Martin has retained his position of Sheriff, addressing the county jail is high on his list of priorities. Tuesday, November 18th the Sheriff office was giving tours of the jail from 2p-8p showing the condition of the jail.

Originally, the jail built in 1977, was made to accommodate 27 inmates. However, the average census is around 40 inmates, almost twice the original capacity. The aging facility has many issues that are not a quick fix, but would require extensive repair to satisfactorily fix the issue. A few issues are original plumbing, fixtures, wiring, cameras, electric gates, security and communication systems.

Obviously, there is much to discuss in the conversation about the best way to go about providing an adequate facility for our county jail. Undoubtedly, the conversation comes about that inmates do not need a nice place. The repairs needed at the county jail are beyond the comforts of the inmates, but are affecting the safety of the corrections officers and the energy expenditure of the aging building.

If you missed the tour, the Sheriff’s office will be offering tours again in the Spring. In the meantime, click along on the pictures below for a narration of the condition of the jail.

For further questions, contact the Sheriff’s office:
204 S National Ave
Fort Scott, KS
620.223.1440

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