Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - Months after the launch of an Operational Needs Assessment into the Erie County Holding Center and Erie County Correctional Facility, the results recommend a renovated and expanded Erie County jail on the grounds of the existing Correctional Facility in the Town of Alden.
The assessment was initiated in response to increasing concerns about the poor conditions and high costs of the Erie County Sheriff's Office operating the two aging facilities in Alden and Downtown Buffalo, given the significantly reduced populations of incarcerated individuals.
The Needs Assessment recommended the facilities be combined to include 906 bed capacity, plus an additional 22 medical beds, and a projected building program to include a range of programming, support, and transitional housing needs.
A combined facility will also result in significant staff reductions, and reduced or avoided operations and maintenance costs, which over time will exceed the estimated capital costs of the new/expanded facility.
"The Needs Assessment clearly outlined the deficiencies of the current system, as well as the negatives of several possible alternatives. It became clear that not only could we not continue to do 'business as usual' and needed to create a facility that was safer for incarcerated individuals and staff, cost less to supervise and maintain, and met today’s standards for incarceration facilities," said Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz on Friday. "We can do that most cost-effectively and impactfully through renovating and expanding at our Alden site."
Recently enacted New York State legislation greatly reduced the number of incarcerated individuals in general, leading to both facilities operating significantly below capacity. The Erie County Holding Center population is at 38% of total capacity, while the Erie County Correctional Facility is operating at 51% of total capacity.
Operating two facilities with small populations has led to several inefficiencies and challenges.
The 638-bed Holding Center in Downtown Buffalo was built in 1937, and expanded in the mid-1980s. The 742-bed Correctional Facility in Alden was built in 1985.
Both facilities are outdated, and do not meet current best practices for a therapeutic and rehabilitative environment for incarcerated residents.
Currently, the Sheriff’s Office’s Jail Management Division operates and maintains a total of 1,380 beds, which is far too large and expensive for the current incarcerated population of under 850.
"The results of this study make it incontrovertibly clear. The Erie County Holding Center and Erie County Correctional Facility are outdated and need to be replaced with one modern jail," said Sheriff John Garcia on Friday. "We now have an opportunity to move forward with a generational project that will have immense benefits for incarcerated individuals, my jail management staff and our community for decades to come. A renovated and expanded facility in Alden offers these benefits in a fiscally responsible way."
Related
Based on an anticipated future population of the facilities, these five development options were evaluated in the Needs Assessment:
Baseline: Continue operating and maintaining two facilities, Erie County Holding Center in downtown Buffalo and Erie County Correctional Facility in Alden. The cost of this option is $218.3 million.
Option 1: Consolidate downtown at the Holding Center. Selective demolition and expansion at the downtown Erie County Holding Center. The cost of this option is $435.2 million.
Option 2: Demolish the downtown Erie County Holding Center and construct a new joint facility on the same site. The cost of this option is $698.4 million.
Option 3: New downtown facility on unknown site that would require land acquisition. The cost of this option is $695.8 million.
Option 4: Consolidate facilities at the Correctional Facility in Alden. Renovation and expansion at the Erie County Correctional Facility in Alden. The cost of this option is $428. 8 million.
"Expansion at Alden best achieves the county’s objectives for cost and operational efficiency, providing a facility which improves building functionality and provides a safer facility more conducive to improved programming and services to rehabilitate the incarcerated population in the county’s care," Poloncarz said. "What’s more, Erie County already owns the land so there is no need to acquire a new parcel. I look forward to Legislature approval and the commencement of this project."
Erie County contracted with Azar Design Co. and DLR Group to conduct the Needs Assessment.