Pasco County has broken ground on a 608-bed expansion on a 28.5-acre site at its Pasco County Corrections Center, 20101 Central Ave., in Land O’ Lakes.
Officials held a groundbreaking on Feb. 23 to celebrate the start of the project, which includes new inmate housing, a virtual visitation center, medical and mental health areas, inmate intake and release areas, kitchen and laundry facility improvements, and other features.
Voters approved general obligation bonds for the $145 million expansion project in November 2018.
During the groundbreaking, officials offered remarks about the project in interviews that were videotaped and disseminated by the county’s communications team.
“We’re overcrowded in the facility,” County Administrator Mike Carballa said. “We can’t just go and put a ‘No Vacancy’ sign up, right? We have to house these folks.”
Stacey Jenkins, Pasco’s chief correctional officer said: “The expansion is going to allow us a better opportunity to classify our inmate population, so with that, it’s going to improve the safety of our staff.”
Pasco County Commissioner Seth Weightman added: “This is a great win for our corrections officers. As we move in the modern policing, this facility will be a fantastic and modern workplace for our corrections officers, and hopefully it gives them a new, clean, safe environment to work in.”
Jack Mariano, chairman of the county board, talked about improvements the expansion will offer.
“There’s going to be better visitation, where people can do it remotely, safely — taking a lot of stress and strain off the system, as well,” he said.
Mariano added: “The voters spoke very clearly in 2018 … They voted for it. They wanted to see it happen. It’s going to be a great benefit for Pasco County.”
Mike Tippy, a project executive, noted there will be challenges because the expansion is being added next to an operating jail. So, for example, “the kitchen still has to run, even though we’re putting a new kitchen in. The laundry still has to operate, even though we’re moving to new laundry facilities.”
Chief Correctional Officer Jenkins said the expansion will enable the county to provide more programs for current inmates.
It also will provide new opportunities for “inmates who have medical conditions and mental health conditions,” she said.
Moss & Associates is spearheading the construction work on the project, which is expected to be completed by the Summer of 2025.
John Bowden, of Moss construction, said: “This is a big project, very exciting, a large project. We’ve assembled an A-plus team. We’re very excited about what we’re going to deliver over the next couple of years. “
County Administrator Carballa expressed confidence in the county’s staff and the contractor.
“Our team is up to the challenge. I appreciate the hard work and the professionalism of the complete design/build team and our partners there,” the county’s chief executive said.
“This is truly a heavy lift for the organization, but in the end, the juice is worth the squeeze,” Carballa added.
Pasco County Detention Center expansion
New and updated facilities include:
- 608 additional beds
- Kitchen and laundry updates
- Medical and mental health areas
- Inmate intake/release areas
- Staff support and administrative offices
- Pre-trial hearing area
Access to inmate booking photos
Pasco County has announced that the county now offers access to basic inmate booking information, including photos, for inmates at Pasco Corrections Center in Land O’ Lakes.
Just visit the Pasco Corrections webpage, PascoCorrections.com, and click on either the In Custody or Past Arrests links to access the searchable databases.
Give the system a few moments to load booking photos, then simply click on the photo to download. To request a booking photo that doesn’t appear on the website, email Pasco County Customer Service at .
Requests for additional information about arrests must be directed to the arresting agency.
Published March 08, 2023
