Erie County Legislators John Mills, Chris Greene, and Frank Todaro toured the downtown Erie County Holding Center and the Erie County Correctional Facility in Alden today to see the challenges facing the Erie County Sheriff’s Office. This comes as they consider consolidating the Jail Management Division to the Alden location.
The Erie County Holding Center was built in the 1930s and is now outdated and doesn’t meet the needs for today’s correctional practices. A needs assessment recommended the consolidation to the Alden facility, with plans for renovation and expansion there.
“Getting to see the inside of both the Holding Center in Buffalo and Correctional Facility in Alden showed me the many challenges we face, said Legislator Mills. “The Alden facility needs more cameras to ensure the safety of those being held, as well as the guards. We cannot risk their safety. The Holding Center is outdated and is becoming increasingly expensive to keep up.”
“I appreciated the tour of the Erie County Holding Center and Erie County Correctional Facility,” said Legislator Todaro. “It is clear the Holding Center, which is almost 100 years old, has many structural and foundational issues that cannot be easily fixed. These problems are only going to continue, and we need to do something. Visiting the Erie County Correctional Facility in Alden shows there is room to grow there if necessary. The design of the multiple floors downtown comes with a higher cost of jail deputies required to work a shift.”
“The Erie County Holding Center is in very poor condition, making it unsafe for both inmates and staff,” said Legislator Greene. “We need to consider what is best long-term for the county. This tour highlighted those very real concerns.”
