A 2010 fire devastated Stanislaus County's ability to house prisoners, burning the 172-bed minimum-security Honor Farm barracks.
On Tuesday, Stanislaus County marked the beginning of a new era of public safety – and an end to overcrowded local jails – with the opening of 192 new beds at the County's Public Safety Center campus.
“The new facilities have been designed to integrate into the county’s Public Safety Center making for a more cost-effective operation," stated Vito Chiesa, Chairman of the Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors. "This saves taxpayer dollars and creates a more secure environment for people housed in the facility.”
The Public Safety Center, located off Crows Landing Road in Modesto, first opened in 1992. It previously consisted of 726 beds for medium- and maximum-security inmates, and 196 minimum-security beds. Constructing the new facility at the Public Safety Facility campus will reduce costs by taking advantage of support services already present at the site, staff say.
The new, 28,8000 square-foot building is divided into three housing units. Each unit houses 64 inmates in four secure dormitory rooms.
The new jail will do more than just house inmates, though – it will offer rehabilitative programs in two separate program rooms.
The new facility is a state-of-the-art building, county staff say, focused on enhanced safety. A centralized supervision station will allow for inmate monitoring and movement control. Inmates will be served food in the units, and medical exams and video visitations will be conducted in specialized rooms within the units, reducing inmate movement.
The building is constructed of durable, low-maintenance materials, with concrete exterior walls and reinforced masonry interior walls. Interior finishes like concrete-filled acoustical metal decking for dormitory floors will also cut down on noise, reducing inmate stress levels.
Construction started on the building on Aug. 7, 2012. It was built for $11.999 million – the value of the insurance payout on the Honor Farm.
