“We’re behind schedule due to a delay in receiving the new bunks from OPI (Ohio Penal Industries), and we had to go out for bids for the control station,” he said.
However, delays in obtaining the new bunk beds from Ohio Penal Industries and the bidding process to enclose the security station in the current medium security pod has moved the date back to the end of February to early March.
Sims said the state Bureau of Adult Detention, which governs Ohio jail standards, gave the approval to proceed with a request for double-bunking last spring.
With the double-bunking, the jail will be able to accommodate 280 inmates, up from 197.
Financially, the new renovations could save the county $800,000 to about $1 million because excess inmates won’t have to be housed in the Butler County Jail in Hamilton, he said.
Sims said the new security station will be enclosed and not open as it is now. That pod will see the largest increase of inmates, from 48 to 90, that will be housed there.
He said most of the renovations have required the removal of the cell doors to have enough square footage required by state minimum jail standards to allow the double-bunking.
In the medium security pod, other renovations will be needed such as adding more rails on the second tier of the pod to prevent anyone, correctional officers or inmates, from being pushed off onto the first floor, Sims said.
“There were some initial concerns from staff, as the jail would have about one-third more inmates that it was designed for,” Sims said. “The staff proposed a number of changes and have been helpful with their ingenuity and thought process going down this path.
Maj. Brian Tinch said because there will be more inmates in an enclosed area that could create a situation of inmate on inmate attacks.
He said corrections officers will need to focus more on the classification process “to keep high-risk inmates away from lower-risk inmates,” he said.
The sheriff’s office will also be hiring five more corrections officers to help with the additional inmates.
Other renovations were the expanding the jail’s laundry area and purchasing new machines to help carry the extra workload, said Jake Jones, county building services director.
Jones said there were other minor improvements made to the jail and that inmates have been doing a lot of the painting and deep cleaning that had to be completed. He said the overall costs of the jail renovation will be about $140,000.
“We did everything we could do to save money,” Jones said. “The payback will be immense.”
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