GRAYSON COUNTY, TEXAS -- .The new jail expansion opened to great enthusiasm this morning.

"This is our new territory, this is something we've been working on for over 15 months. Well laid out, well planned, good construction job," jail administrator Roger Braziel said.

This new west end of the jail came with a 7 million dollar price tag.

It can house 96 maximum security inmates.

"This facility is a maximum security, as all our jail is maximum security, so we have the ability on classification to place hardcore criminals down here," Braziel said.

Sheriff Keith Gary says the jail was in dire need of this expansion.

The jail has been overcrowded, forcing the county to pay more than $40 a day per inmate to house them at other facilities.

"Our desire is to bring all our prisoners home and house them ourselves," Braziel said.

The new jail has state of the art facilities.

"You could run the entire jail from this same control room," jail architect Don Olson said.

A 360 degree look reveals floor to ceiling windows for better supervision, along with touch screen computers and video surveillance.

"he technology, the touch screens, the cameras, the intercom systems, is leading edge," Olson said.

Olson says this tech-savvy control room increases safety.

"Not only is the staff safer because of the visibility into the inmate areas, but the inmates feel safer also," Olson said.

Sheriff Gary says the jail has already been paid for.