According to syracuse.com, Onondaga County officials in New York are considering modular units to house a growing number of mentally ill inmates as they negotiate a multimillion dollar expansion of the Justice Center. With 35-40 percent of the inmate population having mental health problems, the 671-bed county jail has only 55 beds for mentally ill inmates, and many of them need to be constantly watched. The configuration of the cells requires one deputy to watch two inmates, while the proposed update would allow one deputy to watch up to five inmates, which would be using resources more wisely. In addition, the mental health population stays in jail an average of 54 days, more than twice as long as other inmates. A new mental health unit would allow the existing mental health area to be used for the general inmate population. The modular units would be sited on the grounds of county-owned land at Jamesville prison. MHProNews has reported several times on modular units for incarceration. ##

(Photo credit: Spectrum Building systems–modular jail)