The process to consider the closure of a jail facility in an Onondaga County suburban hamlet is moving forward.
Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon on Tuesday shared with a state commission his plan to close the Jamesville Correctional Facility. A New York State Commission of Correction spokesperson confirmed the county submitted its outline in the late afternoon, and is reviewing the materials.
The jail’s closure has been an ongoing point of debate between the newly elected Democratic sheriff and the county’s Republican leadership.
The state commission previously sent a letter to McMahon, a Republican, requesting details on how correctional officers will be reassigned and trained at their new workplace at the Onondaga County Justice Center in Syracuse. The commission also asked how medical and mental health services will be provided to the additional inmates.
Onondaga County Sheriff Toby Shelley, a Democrat, has told the commission his office is unable to relocate everyone at the Justice Center due to capacity and other facility constraints. Several speakers at a brief public hearing before the Onondaga County Legislature last week echoed those concerns.
In the letter, Commission Chair Allen Riley said the commission will send staff to evaluate if the consolidation plan would jeopardize the safety of inmates, staff, or the public, and if it violates commission regulations. Riley said he can use court orders to force compliance. However, county officials have said the commission has no enforcement authority.
