KALAMAZOO, Mich. — After dealing with issues of inmate overcrowding, officials in Kalamazoo will unveil their new jail facility to the public today.
The expansion to the Kalamazoo County Jail features a 75,000 square foot addition which includes 93 steel cells that will allow the jail to hold 500 inmates.
Sheriff Richard Fuller will open the new facilities in phases. The kitchen and laundry area will open first, and as construction continues in the fall, the areas that will house the inmates and the rest of the expansion are expected to be open and functional by October.
Some cells will open up to day rooms, where inmates can have video visitations with families and watch educational television programs. A new medical facility will have space to treat 23 inmates and will also have space for a community mental health counselor.
The project was a $23 million expansion, and Sheriff Fuller will host an open house from 1 p.m. until 6 p.m. with a ribbon cutting at 2 p.m.
