MUSKEGON, Mich. — The Muskegon County Jail is halfway through a $1.9 million renovation to improve safety. The first phase is complete and ready for inmates.
“This housing unit would house 16 individuals right here,” said Muskegon County Sheriff Michael Poulin.
Third-floor renovations of the Muskegon County Jail are complete.
Now the mezzanines inside the housing units on the third floor have a security mesh instead of a railing.
“It's going to provide greater security, both for the inmates and especially for staff,” said Sheriff Poulin.
He says the units will now be safer because the metal screens will keep inmates from jumping or throwing things from the upper level.
“A large portion of the inmates that are here are community mental health patients, and so we're dealing with individuals that are talking about suicide. We've had individuals actually jump off the upper mezzanine in an attempt or try to hang themselves there,” said Sheriff Poulin.
He says the mezzanine security screens will also keep the staff safer.
“We've had a long history since the jail opened up of assaults happening on the upper mezzanines and assaults on our guards, frankly, where they've tried to throw them off the side,” said Sheriff Poulin.
In order to install the mesh screens, the entire floor had to be closed, lowering the jail’s capacity from 542 inmates to just over 300.
Now that the first phase is complete, the second floor will be closed, and those inmates will be moved to the third level.
“Things are happening. It's nice that the American Rescue Plan dollars were available to make this happen. It was something that should have been here at the beginning,” said Sheriff Poulin.
Sheriff Poulin says the project is scheduled to be completed in August but is hopeful that it will be finished earlier.
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