PA: Feds want more immigration prison space
Feds want more immigration prison space
By EUGENE PAIK
For The Evening Sun
Article Launched: 08/14/2008 08:48:13 AM EDT
York County is looking into adding 300 to 600 prison beds and an additional courtroom for immigration detainees at the request of the federal government.
County commissioners Wednesday unanimously approved a study of the proposed expansion of the prison in Springettsbury Township. They also opted to proceed with the addition of the new courtroom at the Immigration Court, located at the prison.
"It will create good-paying jobs," President Commissioner Steve Chronister said. "We have an obligation to take a serious look at this."
County officials said the costs of a new courtroom would be paid by the federal Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, but expenses from expanding the rest of the prison would be the county's burden.
A renovation of the court will add room for Judge Jeffrey Romig, who joined the court earlier this year. Romig currently works out of a temporary area, local immigration court administrator Tina Barrow said.
ICE spokesman Michael Gilhooly said the renovation will only rearrange the court's space to accommodate the new room.
Mary Sabol, warden of the county prison, said ICE approached the county about six weeks ago regarding a possible expansion.
The bureau, county officials said, was impressed by the efficiency and success of the prison's use as a staging area for detainees and wanted to send more to the facility.
"They always have a need for more beds," Sabol said.
More than 7,000 detainees have moved through the prison since Oct. 1. While some detainees remain at the prison, others within days are shipped to facilities around the country.
An expansion likely would be followed by a raise in the per diem rate the county receives from ICE for the service, Sabol said.
The county receives $61.50 each day to hold the detainees, she said.
An increase can only be enough to offset the costs of the service. However, county officials said, an expansion would create more jobs inside the prison and bring more federal workers to the area.
Gilhooly declined to comment on the expansion until the commissioners make a decision on the project.
The cost of the project, the area to be expanded, the source of funding and the duration of the work are details that will be decided after the study, county officials said.
"This is something I want fully vetted," Commissioner Doug Hoke said.
The prison was last expanded in 2006, when the county added a 336-bed section designed for work-release and kitchen dormitories and a medical facility.
AT A GLANCE ↖
Last time: The federal government rents space in the York County Prison to hold immigration detainees and an immigration court.
What's new: York County officials said the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement asked for 300 to 600 more beds and a renovation of the court.
The renovation would add a courtroom for Judge Jeffrey Romig, who joined the court early this year.
ICE spokesman Michael Gilhooly said the renovation would not expand the court.
What's next: The county commissioners Wednesday unanimously decided to plan for the renovation and approved a feasibility study for expansion.
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