Sheriff Dennis Banther said he expects to be moved into the new Kingfisher County Justice Center by the end of the month, after the facility passed its final inspection.

Banther received an email late Monday afternoon from the detention program manager at the state health department noting that no deficiencies were identified in the Dec. 21 final inspection and “the facility is deemed open.”

Banther told the Times & Free Press that he is contesting an occupancy determination that two-bed maximum security cells are only large enough for a single inmate, but said it’s not an issue that will derail the move-in process.

The 75-square-foot maximum security cells are constructed on both the top and bottom tiers of the otherwise minimum security pod, allowing higher risk prisoners to be segregated behind separate locked doors.

Each maximum security cell is constructed with a double bunk, intended to house two inmates, if needed.

Banther said state regulations require 40 square feet for the first inmate in a cell and then 20 additional feet for each additional inmate housed there.

In his estimation, the 75-foot cells more than meet that spacing requirement.

“They authorized only one person when we believe it should be two,” Banther said.

He noted that the jail inspector allowed for double occupancy in other cells with 76 square feet.

“That’s nowhere in the regulations I have read. We sent it back to the engineers who build these for a living,” he said. “They are the same size as atleast 15 other jails in the state who have double occupancy cells.

“We will wait for them to find out how they came up with their determination.”

Regardless of how the issue is resolved, the move in process will begin, with staff and equipment being transfered first and inmates last, Banther said.

Even with the limited occupancy of maximum security cells, the available bed count is at least 101, which is more than sufficient for the current jail census of 35 inmates.

Banther said which inmates are housed in maximum security is a risk determination he makes inhouse, sometimes due to the nature of their criminal charges but also based on their behavior in the jail.

“Those charged with violent felonies would be considered max security, but we’ve also had some misdemeanor criminals who can’t seem to quit wanting to fight,” he said.

Opening the $12 million facility at last will be the culmination of a nearly four-year process of financing and construction, after frequent delays caused by weather events and other issues.

In addition to the sheriff’s administrative offices and jail, the criminal justice center also will house the 911 dispatch center, Kingfisher City-County Emergency Management and a secure courtroom where Associate District Judge Lance Schneiter can conduct routine dockets involving inmates onsite, rather than transporting them to the courthouse.

Banther said he still plans an open house for the community to tour the new facility before inmates are moved in.

He’ll announce that event as soon as it can be scheduled, he said.