OREGON – As Ogle County Board Member Don Griffin cut the ribbon in front of the new Judicial Center Annex on Dec. 3, he brought to a close a 22-year process that led to that moment.
It was in June 1998 that the county’s Long Range Planning Committee was established to develop at 25-year capital improvement plan, which focused on the judicial system.
In remarks after the ribbon cutting ceremony, Griffin said all of that planning is what brought the county this new jail.
“We have a very nice facility for the citizens of Ogle County for many years into the future,” he said.
The county broke ground on the new facility in April 2019. It took 20 months to build and came in on time and under budget. The total cost is projected to be about $23 million.
Sheriff Brian VanVickle said the work on the project really began in June 2015. Since that time, he said the new jail project, “has been our life.”
VanVickle also thanked the citizens of Ogle County for their strong support of local law enforcement.
The 154-bed facility will house both male and female inmates and is about 41,000 square feet. It is located on 6th Street and IL Rt. 64.
The new jail is expected to be up and operational by the middle of this month.
After the ribbon cutting ceremony and remarks, officials gave public tours of the new jail.
