Bigger county slammer opens

Jail officials are getting ready to move inmates into cell blocks in a new addition that has been built onto the Livingston County Jail. But before they do, the unincarcerated public will get a sneak peek.

Seventy people will get a taste of getting thrown into the slammer Friday at a benefit for Big Brothers Big Sisters, where they will be "booked," have their mugshots taken and learn about life as an inmate. An open house for the general public is expected to be scheduled soon.

After that, renovations will begin on the older part of the jail, which includes the original 1971 building and a 1996 expansion.

A different inmate population

Not only has the inmate population exploded over the years, leading to chronic overcrowding problems, but it has become "more violent, more drug-addicted," Cremonte said.

When the original 1971 part of the jail was expanded in 1996, "the biggest area they built was for the town drunk, low-risk locals that weren't going to cause any problems. Well, we don't have that anymore," he said.

He said there are many more higher-security inmates and IV drug-users these days.

The Livingston Daily previously reported how an explosion in the female inmate population was one of the main factors that led county leaders to green light the $16.7 million expansion.

The expansion and renovations are expected to increase the 254-bed facility to 411 beds. That would include around 88 beds for female inmates, up from 31, and alleviate previous overcrowding issues.

New features include six new cell pods with an elevated security control pod in the center, temporary holding cells, a medical clinic, a recreation room for inmates, classrooms and jail administration offices.

"We're going to start moving in inmates by (security) classification into (new) areas of the jail" as soon as this month, Cremonte said.

The next step

While the new addition is put to use, focus will turn toward improvements to the old structure.

"We are going to elevate the control pod in the old area of the jail," which was originally built "for minimum-security people," he said.

The medical area will also get revamped during the second phase of construction.

After that, Cremonte said a third phase of construction includes building "special management cells" for inmates with "long-term medical or mental health issues, people there for protective custody, people who have special needs, like (those) who are handicapped."

Plans also include redoing the intake area.

Cells from the oldest part of the jail would be decommissioned and removed, and the space would be repurposed for things like evidence storage, inmate property storage and a conference area.

The jail revamp, which is expected to be fully completed in 2016, possibly by spring, is funded through $14.2 million in bonds and $2.5 million from the county's reserve funds.

Contact Livingston Daily county and townships reporter Jennifer Eberbach at 517-548-7148 or at jeberbach@livingstondaily.com. Follow her on Twitter @JenTheWriter.