Aug. 29--GREENSBORO -- The opening of the new Guilford County jail is being pushed back a few weeks -- again.
But the Guilford County Sheriff's Office said it's important that when the much delayed jail does open, it be as secure as possible.
"We're going to get into that building one way or another, but it needs to be ready," said Maj. Debbie Montgomery, who has been overseeing the building and opening of the new jail in downtown Greensboro for Sheriff BJ Barnes.
The county cut the ribbon on the new jail two months ago and held a charity event there two weeks ago at which residents made donations for the privilege of being locked up.
But Montgomery said real prisoners won't be transferred to the new jail until mid-September.
The jail needs more than $700,000 in additions before then -- most of them extra security measures.
Among the additions:
--State-mandated recording equipment in police interrogation rooms.
--More-secure ceilings.
--Escape-proofing windows in all four stairwells.
--The construction of secure "video visitation" areas.
Some members of the Guilford County Board of Commissioners have asked why the various security additions weren't done during construction. Montgomery said her office wasn't supposed to come before the commissioners to request money for these items until the building was constructed and her office had taken possession.
She said the project still will come in well under the $115 million budget -- possibly topping out at about $96 million.
"We will be under our budget for sure, 100 percent," Montgomery said.
When that happens, she said, a discussion will be held with the commissioners about what to do with the leftover bond money approved in 2008.
The construction of the eight-story, 1,032-bed jail has been a long and sometimes bumpy ride since approval of the bonds. Barnes fought with the commissioners to get 166 new detention officers to fully staff the jail, but he was given the money to hire only 89. Because of the funding shortage, Barnes initially is opening only six of the building's levels, the third and fifth of which will house prisoners.
The jail will need 225 parking spaces -- a problem the county still hasn't completely solved.
Barnes initially predicted the jail would open by the end of 2011. The date moved to the beginning of this year, then May -- at the latest.
September is the new goal.
The successful transport of the prisoners will be announced to the press and the public only after the fact.
County Commissioner Mike Winstead, who makes his living as a developer, said with a project of this size, some delays were inevitable.
"I'm not in the jail business, but it seems like there are a lot of moving parts," Winstead said.
That's an understatement. The new jail features more than 1,700 electronic security doors, more than 1,000 intercoms and 456 cameras.
The building will house the offices of the sheriff and county magistrates as well as well as up to 700 inmates.
"You want to be sure you have it right before people are in there and someone gets hurt," Winstead said.
Contact Joe Killian at 373-7023 or [email protected]
Copyright 2012 - News & Record, Greensboro, N.C.
