Lexington County is running out of space for its criminal offenders.

Sheriff Jay Koon says the county needs a bigger jail.

“The Lexington County Detention Center, as it is currently configured, is inadequate to meet the needs of our community. It’s a facility that’s used all day, every day, and the wear and tear are showing,” said Sheriff Koon.

The original Lexington County Detention Center opened in 1975. An additional annex, opened in 1991, was renovated in 1999 to add more space.

Over 89,012 people lived in Lexington in the 1970s, according to the SC Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office on Community Profiles.

The 2010 census revealed that the county’s population had almost tripled at 262,391 residents.

Since the last count, the county has experienced exponential growth.

The Central Midlands Council projects 500,000 people will live in the county by 2050.

In a closed-door county council session Sept. 24, a tentative plan was presented to county leaders to expand the jail to hold 2,000 prisoners.

The projected cost would be around $150 million.

The current jail’s maximum capacity is 599.

The inmate count was 631 on Nov. 6. The average length of an inmate’s stay is 21 days.

Sheriff Koon said the jail expansion should be adequate through 2040. “We’re fortunate to have contracted with 1 of the nation’s leading detention architectural firms to advise us on the best way to move forward on the project. We hope to end up with a detention center that will serve our county and its growing population for decades,” said Koon.