Butler County Prison Warden Rich Gigliotti, right, and correction officer Randy Russell go over operations at a control desk Tuesday as prisoners sit in one of the pods at the new Butler County Prison. Today was the original operational date set for the prison, but the last county inmate was brought in Saturday, four days ahead of schedule.

While construction of the new Butler County Prison was delayed about 18 months, the new building was fully operational four days early.

Warden Rich Gigliotti said Tuesday the last county inmate, who had been sent to Lawrence County, was brought into Butler on Saturday afternoon.

"We are completely, 100 percent, fully operational," he said.

The original operational date was set for today.

"We couldn't have asked for a smoother transition," Gigliotti said.

County Commissioner Dale Pinkerton, board chairman, agreed Saturday was a turning point for the project.

"We have everybody under one roof," he said.

Along with moving inmates from the old prison on Vogely Street and the temporary prison annex in the city tier garage, inmates were picked up from other county prisons.

County Sheriff Dennis Rickard said there were no difficulties bringing all of the inmates to Butler despite a reduction in the number of deputies in his department.

"That was not a problem," he said.

Because of overcrowding at the Vogely Street prison, which was built in the 1950s, the county housed about one-third of its inmates in other county prisons.

In addition to Lawrence County, Butler most recently housed inmates in Armstrong, Beaver and Greene counties.

The new building, which is on South Washington Street, has space for 512 beds, which is more than twice the capacity of the old prison.As of Tuesday, there were 241 inmates in the new prison.Gigliotti said there have not been any major problems operating the new prison."So far, so good," he said.He said minor issues arise as the staff becomes acclimated to its new surroundings."Everybody's getting a feel for the building," he said.Staff meetings are held every morning and afternoon to keep everyone apprised of how new routines work in the building.From central control, correction officers monitor the prison's interior and exterior. Of the more than 200 cameras, six are outside.The cameras can zoom in from a distance. One exterior camera clearly shows the face of a person standing down the corner across the street outside a West Cunningham Street office.Cameras aren't the only exterior security measure. Sensors warn central control when a vehicle approaches the rear sally port entrance."Pretty slick," Gigliotti said.Since the county bought 400 mattresses, inmates from other counties and the state eventually will be brought in as a revenue source."Now, everybody knows we have the beds," Gigliotti said.Pinkerton confirmed inmates from other areas will be housed in the new prison at some time."Once we get comfortable with it," he said about operating the new prison.

Correction Officer Mark Bishop on Tuesday watches areas of the new Butler County Prison from the central control room. The new prison on South Washington Street has more than 200 cameras, six of which are outside, and it has motion sensors at the rear sally port door.