New criminal justice facility designed for future needs, safety

Lydig Construction staff work on installing cinder blocks on the outside of the new Grant County Sheriff’s Office administration building in Ephrata. While the temperatures were a bit chilly, workers continued to push forward with the vertical build-up of the new center.

Crews work on the central office most non-inmates will visit when they come to the new Grant County Sheriff’s Office which is expected to open in 2026.

Chief Deputy of Corrections Phillip Coats discusses the benefits the new jail facility will have for his staff and for inmates, ensuring they are both safe and have a facility that meets the community’s needs.

Workers use a variety of heavy equipment to move the construction of the new Grant County justice center along. The structure is made of steel, cement, plastic and other materials.

The white building on the left in this photo is one of two that will be built to house inmates in multiple pods. The pods will have technology that allows the inmates to be closely monitored and walls that separate inmates based on risks of interaction with one another and officers.

Lydig Construction workers install a crosspiece between steel supports for the second of two inmate housing buildings at the new justice center. The framework will be steel with larger girders like the one being lifted by the crane in the background supporting the building.

Grant County Sheriff Joey Kriete explains aspects of the drawing being used to construct the new Grant County Jail. A lot of thought has gone into ensuring officer and inmate safety at the facility and that shows through in the design, he said.

Crews move materials toward one of the slabs that will serve as the foundation for one of the two inmate housing blocs for the new Grant County Jail.