This old jail

A cell at the now abandoned old Nez Perce Co. Jail.

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Story Published: Jun 2, 2009 at 10:37 PM PDT

Story Updated: Jun 2, 2009 at 10:41 PM PDT

By Matt Loveless

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LEWISTON - The Nez Perce County move to a new sheriff's office, new dispatch center, and new jail should be done by the end of the week. But, despite the fact that the facility left behind is worn out, the move is proving bittersweet.

Tuesday, Sheriff’s Office personnel were clearing out the last of an increasingly quiet third floor at the Nez Perce County Courthouse. For the most part, they were glad to be leaving the crumbling facility.

"The concrete cracks, the ceilings are dropping," said Lieutenant. Bill Madison.

Pipes leak, drenching courtrooms with water, and spilling you-don't-want-to-know-what into judges’ chambers.

"Lack of space is always a problem," said Madison.

For deputies like Madison, there's something about leaving their home away from home, even if it is worthy of abandonment.

"I spent thirty years here," said Madison. "There's a big piece of me in here too."

The Nez Perce County Jail staff is happy to move into their Hilton on the Hill.

At the new jail , the couple of narrow hallways that were at the old place, are now a collection of cell "pods". The kitchen looks less like the one in your average home, and more like some kind of shiny new food factory.

Security is now state of the art, not a couple of closed circuit cameras.

And Madison said there are surely a few things he won't miss, like opening the door to a violent criminal's cell, not knowing what's going on inside.

"Everything over there is clear glass," said Madison. "You can see into the cell are before you walk into it. With this you've got iron, and you basically try to peek in before you walk into it."

Jail dispatchers are in the process of getting out of the third floor by Friday. Then it's time to lock up lock up.

The future of the third floor is still up in the air, but a 30-year employee of Nez Perce County, Madison said he won't soon forget the run-down floor’s past.

"This was home," said Madison. "There wasn't an annex, or any separation. So, when you came to work, you came to work on the third floor up here, so this was home for many, many years."

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