8/21/14 - Officials gathered this morning to break ground on an expansion to the Livingston County Jail, just hours after final site plan approval was granted for the project. The expansion is a two-phase, $17 million undertaking that will increase the footprint of the jail and renovating the interior of the existing building. The new portion of the facility will be a 2-story expansion on the northeast corner, near Grand River. County officials were on that site this morning for a ceremonial groundbreaking, including County Administrator Belinda Peters, who said the countyâs plan to finance the project through the sale of bonds was a fiscally smart way to make an important project come to fruition. Commissioner Donald Parker, who chairs the Jail Improvement Committee, said the project will leapfrog the county over its current overcrowding problems and get ahead of the curve. The expansion will create new cells that can be completely separated from one another and include their own showers. This will allow the jail to isolate and accommodate different populations of inmates, including female offenders, those with behavioral issues, or those with mental or physical ailments. This new expansion will allow the existing portions of the jail, including its pharmacy and medical areas, to undergo major improvements. The net result of the improvements will be an increase in beds from about 257 to about 370. Jail Administrator Tom Cremonte says this upgrade is long overdue, and will not only be a good investment for taxpayers, but improve services, programs, recreation, and sanitation for inmates as well. (TD/JK)
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