Darke County Sheriff Mark Whittaker and the Darke County Board of Commissioners are pleased to announce the award of $1,840,235.00, in the form of a Local Jail Capital Project Grant, from the State of Ohio and the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction. The grant is possible as a result of Senate Bill 310, of the 133rd General Assembly of the State of Ohio, in which bonds were issued for the Adult Correctional Building Fund. The grant application process was started last year and in March of this year we were asked to resubmit updated information for the grant request. We submitted a project cost totaling $2,003,235.00. $163,000.00 will come from the Board of Commissioners as matching funds. May 4, 2022 we received notice we were approved for the funding.
This grant will be used to improve the safety of our staff and modernize key components of the 39 year old Darke County Jail. Much of the Jail is still operating and using the original equipment, doors and controls that it opened with in 1983. The jail has operated 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for those 39 years and many of the mechanical systems are worn and have reached the end of its lifespan. Slated for replacement or improvement are all secure jail doors and the mechanical systems that operate them. A new integrated door control, security video and audio communication system will also be installed.
This grant funding reduces the burden on the local capital improvement funds and brings back some Darke County tax payer dollars that have been paid to the State.