New Broome County Jail Units Now Open

Inmates are finally in the new medical and housing units at the Broome County Jail in the Town of Dickinson.

The $6 million dollar expansion project at the Front Street facility was initially proposed several years ago. Construction was substantially completed last July.

Sheriff David Harder said inmates gradually moved into the new units starting Monday afternoon. The transfer from older units was completed on Tuesday.

The additional 17-bed medical ward was needed to comply with state regulations which require men and women to be treated in separate units.

The new dormitory section, which was built in an unused gymnasium, has a 48-bed capacity. One of the section's two units now is being used.

Speaking on WNBF Radio's Binghamton Now program Thursday, Harder said three lieutenants, one sergeant and one nurse were added to the jail staff as a result of the expansion.

A heating issue and a defective circuit board for video equipment caused some delays in putting the new units into service. A couple of leaking toilets in the new medical ward also needed attention.

Harder said there were 536 inmates at the jail Thursday morning. The facility now has a 600-bed capacity.

The county often was paying about $85 a day to have excess inmates housed at other jails in the region.

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