HAMILTON — A new Butler County jail and corrections complex means greater efficiency, more safety and, above all, more room to house the inmates overflowing from the outdated old jail, officials said.

        Located on an abandoned foundrysite at 705 Hanover St., the $37 million complex is being dedicated today at 10 a.m., followed by public tours until 8 p.m.

        Harold Don Gabbard, sheriff since 1993, said the jail — which will have a capacity of about 800 inmates — has been needed since before he took office.

        “It's going to put Butler County on the map as being one of the most modern, state-of-the-art facilities in the country,” said Col. Richard K. Jones, the sheriff's chief deputy.

        The new jail may be Ohio's only lockup with “video visitations,” he said. Prisoners' images will be projected onto TV screens in a visitors lobby — a feature that is safer than moving inmates around and was less costly than building a visitation room, Col. Jones said.

        The current jail on Court Street, built in 1971, had an unwelcome distinction of being one of the state's most chronically crowded. Its authorized capacity was 110, but it has sometimes held as many as 230 prisoners, Col. Jones said.

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