The fight against a new jail moved from the streets of Catskill to the Capitol on Thursday.
The Greene County jail has been closed for the past year, but the new facility is expected to be bigger than the current 56-bed jail. Some residents, and officials, say it’s an expense the county just shouldn’t have to take on.
“It’s the wrong move at the absolute wrong time,” said Assemblywoman Pat Fahy.
As a response to the new $47 million capital project, concerned residents rallied in support of a bill to stop it.
“We’re talking about an investment we can’t go back on. And when we start to invest $70 million [the possible long-term cost, including such outliers as interest] on this project, that’s all we got,” said anti-jail advocate Phoebe Potter.
The current jail is more than a century old, and was shut down back in April of 2018 after it was deemed unsafe. For more than a year, Greene County’s inmates have been housed by other counties at a cost of $75 per inmate/a day.
“I’ve said that all along, it is tactically cheaper. But the law requires us to have a jail,” said Shaun Groden, Greene County administrator.
Potter expanded on other possible solutions that do not include incarceration.
“It doesn’t change lives. What changes lives are programs, services, staff, and community responses,” Potter said.
The county says this new project is a necessity and legally they have to build it.
“It’s not an issue of want. I mean, I could spend a lot of money like that on roads in this county, I don’t debate that either. But the fact of the matter is crime has been around since Cain killed Abel, it’s not going away,” Groden said.
The new proposed bill offers a workaround, allowing Greene County to permanently share services with a neighboring county jail. The county says it’s still going to happen no matter what.
“But I think a lot a lot of the misinformation that has been given out has exaggerated the cost. I don’t think it’s going to be breaker of the budget,” Groden said.
Assemblymember Fahy's office also spoke with Spectrum News in regards to the bill opposing the jail. Per Fahy’s office, as far as the Assembly goes, it is unknown when it will move forward. They say it looks like the jail would have a harder time in the Assembly than the Senate.
It is currently unclear how Governor Cuomo would come down on the legislation if it were to get that far.
Ground breaking is expected to start in 10 days.