Otsego County Jail renovations completed

Renovations on the Otsego County Jail are now completed, and the new updates will save the taxpayers money.

Renovations on the otsego county jail are now completed, and the new updates will save the taxpayers money.

Newschannel 2's kirk tupaj tells us why.

Otsego county spent over two and a half million dollars renovating their jail.

Last year the new york state commission of corrections started writing the county up for violations within the jail.

Some of the renovations include new flooring, new ceiling, updated lighting, paint, some new windows, cameras, and conversions had to be made to make it handicap accessible.

Otsego county sheriff richard devlin has made it even harder to get into jail.

Because of the covid 19 outbreak you now need to be screened before getting in.

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None sot: sheriff richard j.

Devlin jr., oegocouno any new admits that come in to the facility are quarantined for a 14 d period.

Duringthat t, temperat taken by dical.

Thgs of that nare.

During the renotions, the counhad to pa million dollars boarding out inmates.

Sot: sheriff richard j.

Devlin jr., otsego county it's a drain on county finances to board out inmates.

The transportation costs for before the virus hit with the overtime for transportation, and the miles we're putting on vehicles and man hours that we were doing was out of control, but it had to be done.

Sot: kirk tupaj now that the renovations are complete, the county is saving money beuthey'g inmates to other facilities, but they're also using technology to save money as well.

Sot: sheriff richard j.

Devlin jr., otsego county right now we have the availability to do teleconferencing set up in the jail, so it's something that we've tried.

You know sheriffs have tried to get acss e state for years, a maybe since they're usingt, mae it will show ait's a viable option.

The il malook goe outdated by today's standards, and while they've bought themselves some time, the county will eventually need another option.

Sot: sheriff richard j.

Devlin jr., otsego county we've got a whole list of things that would justify the need for maybe a new public safety complex, not only a jail, but again that's a financial decision that comes down to the county.

In cooperstown, i'm kirk tupaj reporting for newschannel 2.

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