CDCR and Madera County Officials Break Ground On $34 million, 144-bed Expansion of Jail

July 7, 2011

Project to Receive $28 Million from Corrections Standards Authority

MADERA – California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) officials joined Madera County officials and community members on Wednesday to break ground on a $34 million jail expansion that will add 144 beds to the county’s 419- bed facility. It is the tenth project funded, in part, with Assembly Bill 900 (AB 900) funds to break ground. The expansion will occupy portions of the grounds immediately surrounding the existing jail facility.

“I commend the Madera community and County officials for their hard work in making this jail expansion a reality,” said CDCR Secretary, Matthew Cate. “The partnership between Madera County and the State will continue to grow as we move toward realignment and achieving the mutual goal of ensuring community public safety. This project takes us one step further toward reducing overcrowding in California jails.”

The Corrections Standards Authority originally allocated $30 million for the project, but because bids came in lower than predicted, the state’s contribution will be $28 million. Completion is expected to be in summer 2013. The project will provide new beds to serve a growing jail population.

AB 900, also known as the Public Safety and Offender Rehabilitation Services Act of 2007, provides $7.7 billion to add up to 53,000 prison and jail beds. The legislation provides funding for treatment and rehabilitation beds and to reduce prison overcrowding. Conditional funding was awarded to 11 counties to add 5,489 local jail beds.

Two of the ten AB 900 jail projects are already underway. In December 2010, groundbreaking ceremonies were held for a maximum-security 1,368-bed expansion of the Adelanto Detention Center in San Bernardino County, and a 160-bed Calaveras County Adult Detention Facility in San Andreas.

Other AB 900 projects include:

a 64-bed intermediate-care mental health facility at California Medical Facility in Vacaville (CMF) (June 2010);
a 45-bed acute/intermediate-care mental health facility for female inmates at California Institution for Women in Chino (June 2010);
treatment and office space to serve 192 inmates requiring mental health services at California State Prison – Sacramento, Enhanced Outpatient Program (Oct. 2010);
the California Health Care Facility (Stockton), a 1,722-bed inmate medical facility (Nov. 2010, with California Prison Health Care Services);
a 50-bed mental health crisis unit at California Men’s Colony (Jan. 2011);
treatment and office space to serve 150 inmates requiring mental health services at California State Prison, Los Angeles County (Feb. 2011); and
a 44,000 square foot building at CMF for additional treatment space for mental health patients, and offices (Mar. 2011).

Click here and here for more information on AB 900 financing and awards through the Corrections Standards Authority.

Click here for photographs: http://www.flickr.com/photos/37381942@N04/sets/72157627134235754/

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

JULY 7, 2011

CONTACT: Paul Verke (916) 445-4950