A five-year project to remodel Delta County’s detention facility has finally wrapped up, delivering overdue improvements for safety, accessibility, and inmate care.

For Sheriff Mark Taylor and his team, it’s a major step forward — one they say couldn’t come soon enough.

Major Changes Bring Safety, Dignity to the Forefront

After years of squeezing by with outdated systems and limited space, Delta County’s detention facility looks — and feels — a lot different.

The remodeled ground floor now boasts:

• A brand-new booking area built for efficiency

• Six holding cells compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

• Two specialized cells for inmates facing behavioral health or intoxication crises

• Two dorm-style pods dedicated to the county’s work-release program

Sheriff Taylor was direct: these changes were desperately needed. “It allows us to keep minor offenders downstairs and separate from the more serious ones upstairs,” he said.

It’s not just about logistics. It’s about treating people with basic respect — no matter why they’re behind bars.

Five Years in the Making: A Story of Plumbing, Patience, and Priorities

You might think the county just decided one day to spruce up the jail. Nope — the seeds were planted years ago.

It all started when serious issues cropped up with the facility’s plumbing and HVAC systems. Leaks. Malfunctions. Breakdowns. Things you can’t just slap duct tape on and call it good.

Fixing those systems forced the county to think bigger. If they were going to tear into walls and ceilings anyway, why not take the opportunity to make broader, badly needed improvements?

What followed was five years of planning, budget wrestling, design meetings, and, finally, construction.

And it wasn’t always smooth sailing.

Sheriff Taylor: Expansion Was “Long Overdue”

Sheriff Taylor didn’t sugarcoat it.

The building wasn’t meeting the needs of modern law enforcement — or the inmates themselves.

“It was long overdue,” he said, standing in the gleaming new booking area, the hum of fresh ventilation systems replacing the old creaks and groans. “We needed to improve the safety and function of this facility — for everyone.”

One short sentence captured the spirit of the whole project.

Public safety workers say the separation of minor offenders from higher-risk inmates will also lower tensions inside the jail. That’s good news for staff and inmates alike.

There’s a deeper human side too. Behavioral health crises and substance abuse issues are common reasons people land behind bars. Having dedicated, specially designed spaces to manage those situations is a small but meaningful step toward better care.

Breaking Down the Improvements

Let’s lay it out clearly — what Delta County achieved with this remodel isn’t just cosmetic. It’s fundamental.

Here’s a snapshot comparison of the old facility vs. the new:

Seeing it in black and white, it’s clear why leaders kept calling the project essential, not optional.

Community Impact: Bigger Than Just a Building

It might sound strange to talk about pride in a jail renovation, but in Delta County, there’s definitely a sense of it.

Local officials say the updated facility will serve the community better in countless ways — many of them not obvious from the outside.

For one, better conditions lower the risk of lawsuits. They also help staff retention by creating a safer, saner environment to work in. And providing separate spaces for different types of inmates? That’s just good correctional practice.

Plus, there’s the message it sends.

“This shows we care about how we do things,” one deputy said quietly while giving a brief tour. “We don’t just throw people in a box and forget about them.”

Of course, the real test will be in how the new facility operates day-to-day. But for now, Delta County’s leaders — and its residents — have something solid to point to and say: we fixed it.