Chautauqua County committee hears jail needs study; concept calls for removing 1939 wing

Consultants from LaBella and Justice Planners and Sheriff Jim Quattrone presented the county’s jail needs assessment to the Chautauqua County Public Facilities Committee on May 19, describing a plan to remove the facility’s 1939 wing and replace aging space with a modern facility sized to meet projected county needs.

The study’s nut graf: consultants recommended a concept plan that would replace the 1939 portion of the jail, consolidate operations into new space, and provide roughly 224 beds under the county‑only planning scenario. Presenters said the concept program yields a gross building assessment of about 15,000 square feet of programmed spaces and preliminary construction estimates that escalate into the low‑hundreds of millions in current dollars.

Presenters described three forecast scenarios the team used to size bed need: a base forecast, two alternates that assume different booking and average length‑of‑stay conditions, and versions that include or exclude federal inmates. The presentation reported bed‑need ranges under those scenarios; the county‑only planning target discussed by presenters was about 224 beds. Consultants said that the 1939 section should be retired from housing incarcerated people because of safety, operational, and Commission of Corrections compliance concerns.

Sheriff Jim Quattrone told the committee the 1939 space is “wearing” and that maintenance and safety problems are increasing. Quattrone also said that if the county were forced to close the 1939 portion, the county would likely have to house detainees out of county; he estimated an out‑of‑county housing cost of roughly $110 per inmate per day and noted additional transport costs tied to court and medical trips.

Consultants walked committee members through a concept layout that preserves later additions while removing the 1939 wing, then building new housing pods and program areas behind that footprint. The team also noted that earlier plans to build additional floors on the existing 2000s addition are technically possible but would require significant swing‑space and temporary out‑boarding while construction occurs.

On costs, presenters said the 2023 concept estimate for construction was about $75 million (construction) with total project cost estimates in the $100 million range at that time, and that escalation to 2024–2025 pricing produced a higher range. Committee discussion recorded a working range of roughly $115 million to $120 million in current dollars; presenters and committee members emphasized that detailed budgeting and a refined square‑foot program are required before any formal capital decision.

Committee members and the consultants identified next steps: refine the square‑foot program to determine what parts of the existing facility can be salvaged, finalize a concept design approach, establish a project budget, and agree on a schedule for design and procurement. Consultants and the sheriff said escalation and inflation are a major variable and encouraged the committee to clarify timing because costs increase materially over time.

The presenters said they have not identified meaningful grant funding for construction and that the county’s finance and grant‑search efforts have not yet turned up construction grants. The jail needs committee — composed of legislators, county administration, facility maintenance staff, and corrections leadership — will continue work and intends to present the study to the full Legislature for direction.

Ending: Committee members agreed the county is at an inflection point and that further work is needed to refine program, budget and timeline. No formal committee action was taken at the meeting; the report was provided as an update and the study will be the basis for forthcoming legislative discussion.