The Boyd County Jail in Butte, NE has seen busier days. Although Boyd County has never been a hotbed of criminal activity, this jail now sits empty and unused. Photographer Micheal Peterson toured the interior to document the current state of the jail.

Boyd County Historical Society
The jail was built in 1915 or 1916 to provide a temporary "home" for Boyd County offenders.
This photograph and all below courtesy of Micheal Peterson
The jail was meant to house prisoners for periods of up to six months. Today, its empty rooms are full of interesting light and textures, providing the perfect spot for a photo shoot.
It has just two cells, each meant to house four prisoners. Even though it wasn't a large or long-term facility, there is still something eerie about abandoned jails. You can't help but wonder what former prisoners did to earn a place here, however brief it may have been.
The interior of the jail has been left largely unchanged. An instructional sign still adorns one wall, telling jail employees how to operate the door locking system.

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Here, a prisoner scratched out the days of his sentence on the wall.
The inside of the building looks like a typically uncomfortable jail setup: metal-frame bunk beds attached to the wall and a toilet and sink in each cell.
The photographer was given a tour of the jail by a local historian. If you're ever in Butte and would like to see the jail for yourself, you can schedule a tour by calling the Clerk's Office at 402-775-2391.

It’s always interesting to see the remains of old facilities like jails, and these photographs are so beautiful that it almost makes us wish we were there. Have you ever visited the Boyd County Jail?

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