About the Miami County Sheriff's Office
 

The Miami County detention Facility was designed to safely and securely serve the present and future needs of local county law enforcement. Many hours of planning by State and Local officials resulted in a detention facility which incorporates the most recent trends in detention concepts, compliance with state and federal requirements, yet represent an efficient use of public resources.

The first jail in Miami County was a log structure destroyed by a fire in 1852. The county was without a jail facility until the construction of a new courthouse in 1858. This building which was later replaced by the current Courthouse included a jail facility in the basement. In 1898 the County Board determined that a new jail was required. Plans were adopted and construction started on a new building located on the corner of Fifth and Wabash streets in 1899. This facility which was erected for a total cost of $ 24,875.76 has served the county since that time. Like many other jails in the country, this facility slowly became inadequate with the passage of time and changes in detention practices and codes.

The design of the current retention facility reflects upon the character of the Courthouse Square through the use of materials and forms borrowed from this context. The 23,000 square feet of space in this facility provides detention areas for 46 pre-sentenced and convicted inmates of relatively minor crimes. The $ 2.4 million complex also includes the offices of the Miami County Sheriff's Office.  The design of the detention areas reinforces current correctional concepts with the inclusion of two man cells, each with natural light and private toilet facilities, opening onto a common day room for a maximum of six inmates. Also available to inmates are an outdoor exercise deck and library/chapel. Activities of the inmates are monitored and controlled from guard stations throughout the building with the use of computerized control consoles and closed circuit television cameras.

The limited use of steel bars and other materials normally associated with jail design of the past does not diminish the quality of security in this facility. Included in the construction were over 180,000 solid brick and concrete blocks, 110,000 lbs. of steel reinforcement, 5300 lineal feet of piping, and 1200 cubic yards of concrete.