New Prison Pre-Release Center
Erie County's brand new Prison Pre-Release Center is taking shape.
The county is in the middle of building a 3.6 million dollar facility on what was a grass covered lot located at East 16th and Parade Streets.
We'll, that lot is no more. The walls and the beams are already in place. This facility when complete early this fall with be able to house 208 inmates.
Officials say the prison pre-release facility will help reduce prison overcrowding and free up space on the fifth floor of the Erie County courthouse. That's where 152-work release prisoners are currently housed.
City of Erie zoning ordinances say this facility couldn't be located less than one thousand feet from an existing prison or pre-release center, but those restrictions were eased.
County officials say this project will make a dramatic impact in positively returning inmates to the community.
We're told the roof will hopefully go up in about a month and the full project should be complete by August or September.
