Published: October 20, 2009 10:55 pm      

$431,500 in upgrades to Garrett County Jail proposed

Need for improvements of greater import since new lockup won’t be built

OAKLAND — The Garrett County Jail may be undergoing approximately $431,500 worth of repairs and improvements if a proposal presented during the Tuesday meeting of the Garrett County Commission is approved.

The repairs would include replacing a control panel and associated locking mechanisms, upgrading security cameras in the prison, replacing 25 combined toilet and sink units, installing a drain in the jail’s padded cell and upgrading the jail’s laundry facilities to commercial grade. The proposal also included a suggestion to contract with qualified health care officials to handle inmate health care which would cost an estimated $230,000.

The county had originally planned to construct a new jail, but those plans were scrapped last year for financial reasons.

According to Sheriff Gary Berkebile, maintenance of the existing jail waned due to anticipation of the new building. Since the county will instead continue using the existing jail, Berkebile said it’s time to bring the jail back up to standards.

“It’s time to pick up the lost ground on this and make some repairs,” said Berkebile during the meeting. “It’s necessary to fix this jail up because we’re going to be using it for many years.”

“The upgrades aren’t for convenience or comfort,” added jail administrator Lt. Mike Bittinger. “They’re for the safety of the inmates, correctional officers and the public.”

The commission did not act on the proposal during Tuesday’s meeting. Commissioners said they would require hard numbers rather than the estimates that were presented. They also mentioned the financial concerns of the county.

Commissioners did, however, agree that action is necessary. 

“We know we have to do something and we want to do something,” said Commissioner Fred Holliday.

Officials from the University of Maryland Extension, a statewide education system, also made a presentation during the meeting. They outlined their goals for the future, including producing podcasts and building strong educational programming, and thanked the commissioners for their assistance.

They also discussed the Maryland Rural Enterprise Development Center, an online information source intended for rural entrepreneurs.

Cory Galliher can be reached at cgalliher@times-news.com.