Expansion of the Hill-Finklea Detention Center ‘long overdue’

MONKS CORNER, SC (WCSC) - Berkeley County’s jail is at a breaking point.

It was built for 291 inmates. According to the inmate population, it houses over 400. But that’s about to change.

A nearly $50 million expansion hopes to bring better conditions for inmates and staff, new medical care, and new programs.

The old detention center has been facing overcrowding issues for years, failing state inspections, and conditions inmates once called inhumane, but now this expansion was built to change that.

[RELATED: ‘Human cruelty’: Berkeley County inmates detail overcrowding as new jail nears completion]

“Long overdue,” Johnny Cribb, Berkeley County Supervisor, said. “We didn’t have much of a choice.”

For the first time in years, mattresses might not have to line the floor. The Berkeley County Detention Center’s new expansion will take its capacity up to 565 inmates.

“We were routinely over capacity, sometimes close to twice as many residents as we actually have cells,” Cribb said.

But officials say this is about far more than square footage.

The new facility includes a full medical wing - 9 medical cells and 2 bio isolation cells, an on-site pharmacy, mental health resources, and a dental unit.

“The area we had before was a closet with two additional closets that we made into a medical room, examination room. It was not adequate, but we did the best we could. This changes the whole medical program for us,” Duane Lewis, Sheriff of Berkeley County, said.

Education and rehabilitation are also at the center of this expansion.

“Our new mental health program with the Department of Mental Health, they’re embedded in this facility. They have a newer area that they can work in. And it’s just going to change things for us all around,” Lewis said.

The new facility also has dedicated space for GED programs and a full-time chaplain.

“If this is a first step toward a more humane treatment here in Berkeley County, I believe that a part of that will also be expanding opportunity for those that are here as detainees to improve themselves while they’re here. So that when they get out, they’ll be able to not only just get out, but to stand,” Thomas Dixon, pastor, said.

This new facility isn’t just for the inmates; officials say their staffing turnover rate was exponentially high. For the first time, there is an on-site training facility, locker rooms, and a break room.

“I’m really happy for the staff. You know, they’re the ones that are here day and night. And having to deal with all the issues in an older facility, mechanical issues, all those things that we see. And this just is a game changer for them,” Lewis said.

The new facility also separates serious offenders from lower-level detainees with new security technology throughout. Officials say the expansion is critical to public safety across the county.

“It’s important to a community. We have victims out there that we’re trying to protect. We have residents that we’re trying to protect,” Cribb said.

Looking ahead, the sheriff says the goal is to eventually demolish the oldest part of the detention center and rebuild it to this new standard.

“It’s a state-of-the-art facility. And I’m proud of it.” Lewis said.

The sheriff’s department says they plan to move their current inmates into the new facility within the next couple of weeks.

For more information about the detention center, click here.