Missouri news

Jackson County cuts ribbon on $320 million modern jail, promising 'justice with dignity'

KCUR | By Peggy Lowe

Published March 20, 2026 at 6:17 AM CDT

Officials cut the ribbon Wednesday at the new $320 million Jackson County Detention Center.

The new 1,000-bed facility has bright spaces, outside courtyards, open-air gyms and two courtrooms. This will replace the current downtown county jail, which is vastly overcrowded and in disrepair.

Jackson County unveiled its new $320 million detention center on Thursday, promising a state-of-the-art facility filled with natural light, centered on a safer design and built on the concept of "justice with dignity."

At a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the jail in the eastern part of the county, 7000 U.S. 40 Highway, Sheriff Darryl Forte, who will run the 470,000-square-foot facility, bragged that it was built without a tax increase and said it represents an "investment in people and accountability and a second chance."

"At its core is the simple but the powerful ideal of justice with dignity. That's huge. That's huge in corrections," Forte said. "This means treating every person with respect, listening so they are heard, avoiding harm or bias and always striving for fair and humane outcomes."

The new Jackson County Detention Center has open-air courtyards for staff to take breaks.

The building of a replacement to the downtown county jail, which is vastly overcrowded and in disrepair, began about a decade ago. Then officials found a need for a second city jail.

A 2022 Kansas City Municipal Court study said the city needed a facility to hold nonviolent offenders who are accused of smaller municipal offenses. Men held in the county detention center are often charged with violent crimes and felonies.

But because the city and county couldn't agree on a single facility, the county went ahead with its plan, as the city decided to build a temporary $22 million jail, likely to be located in the East Bottoms.

A day room at the new Jackson County Detention Facility has an open-air basketball court, game tables, semi-private showers and cells with four beds each.

County Executive Phil LeVota said the new facility, which will formally open in a couple of months, will hold about 1,000 beds, but the layout will allow for expansion. Despite the failure of the city and county not being able to work together, LeVota said the county will be partnering with the city.

County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson said the new facility is "finally prioritizing and addressing the root causes of crime that will ultimately save lives."

"Inside, there's natural lighting, murals, art and communal space," Johnson said. "It's designed for human beings. A calmer, more intentional environment. Because evidence shows that the conditions people are in help shape the people they become."