A long-awaited expansion of Tompkins County’s jail is finally underway, as county officials hope to add seven beds for inmates.
The county created a task force in 2014 to examine the proposal and the entire jail system after some residents and college students questioned why more beds were needed, and why more programs weren’t implemented to avoid simply throwing people in jail.
Tompkins County Sheriff Ken Lansing says work on the expansion has been going on for about three weeks.
“It’s finally started, and it’s great that it has, and it seems to be moving along,” said Lansing. “The construction crew is doing a great job. It’s not interfering too much with doing our daily operations.”
One reason for the project is due to the county’s increased costs for boarding out inmates — that is, sending them to other counties when the Tompkins County Jail is out of space.
“I’m hoping that this project, once it’s completed, will definitely help us with our board-outs,” Lansing said. “I’m hoping and praying that the trends of incarceration will start to deter a little bit more and not be an issue.”
Lansing says he’s hopeful the renovation project, which includes the addition of recreational space, can be finished by early winter.
