A report says it's possible for that price, but Executive Brian Hughes' administration says larger issues would remain.
TRENTON -- The Mercer County Correction Center is in "fair to poor condition" and because of such poor utility service at the Hopewell Township location, it's not feasible to expand the facility.
But the county could upgrade the facility for an estimated $22.4 million, according to a report on the jail complex prepared by a consultant for a regional jail study.
The recommended upgrades are not necessarily immediate, and could be made over the next 10 years.
While not bringing the facility completely up to current standards, such upgrades "would greatly improve the operation and condition of the facility," according to a draft of the report, obtained by NJ Advance Media.
The report is part of a study, not yet complete, to explore a regional jail in south Jersey. Participating with Mercer are Camden, Cumberland and Atlantic counties.
Created by the Vaughn Collaborative, with Jay Farbstein & Associates, it's meant to be a tool for the county to make decisions about their current jail, as well as their participation in the regional study.
Mercer County officials briefly discussed the $22 million in possible, future repairs recommend by the report at a Mercer County freeholders meeting last week while outlining a plan to have Hudson County house 600 Mercer County inmates.
The plan, announced by Mercer County Executive Brian Hughes earlier this month, would lead to layoffs and result in the jail's being reduced to an intake and processing center for inmates going to and from Hudson County.
Mercer County would pay Hudson County about $21 million per year to house 600 inmates, in a two-year contract.
Hughes has said the jail is antiquated and difficult to maintain and a new Mercer jail complex could cost $400 to $500 million. The Hudson plan would save $20 million once up and running, he says.
The 48-page document details every area of the prison and makes recommendations.
The report says one of the "most pressing problems" at the jail is lack of public utilities and the water. The jail depends on well water and its own sewage treatment facility.
Both systems are overtaxed, and the report says the jail is on water restrictions by Hopewell Township to conserve ground water and reduce demand on the sewage system.
This has led to the jail closing its internal laundry department in favor of an outside vendor, not typical of most county jails.
The locking mechanisms and security at the jail are solid, due to recent upgrades, the report says.
The corrections officers union, which came out in force at the recent freeholders meeting, said the report shows Mercer County could upgrade the jail over the next decade at a price it wants to pay each year for the next two years.
"This shines a light on their claim that the jail is falling part," said union lawyer David Beckett.
Beckett said the county appears to be in a rush to sign a deal with Hudson County - and put people out of work - when they should slow down, examine their plan and save jobs.
Ray Peterson, the president of the corrections union, said the county is willing to spend $21 million per year to ship inmates to Hudson County, "which is something we really don't think is going to work."
Yet the county has a report outlining how to repair the jail, and save jobs, Peterson said. He said the entire deal benefits Hudson County, not Mercer County.
Mercer County spokeswoman Julie Willmot said it's not that simple. The county would still spend over $40 million per year in it's annual budget to run the jail.
"Even with $22 million in facility upgrades, in addition to the millions budgeted annually for regular maintenance and capital improvements, the most critical and pressing problems at the jail would still be unresolved," she said.
Willmot said other issues in the report mirror what Hughes and Warden Charles Ellis have said prior.
Ellis in particular stressed at the recent freeholders meeting that the inability to adequately separate maximum security inmates, "line of sight" challenges, - the ability of officers to see all inmates in certain living conditions - and the lack of space to separate the mental health population from the general population are serious issues, Willmot said.
Willmot said in some cases, the jail uses the equivalent of 3.5 officers to supervise 70 maximum custody inmates, while many corrections agencies manage as many 48 or more maximum custody inmates with one officer.
"Additionally, many of the improvements suggested in the draft jail feasibility report do not take into consideration the special constraints and site limitations of the existing jail," she said. "The facility is completely built out."
The report language lends itself to the interpretation that a modernization of the facility would alleviate the structural problems that result in Mercer having the highest overtime levels in the state, Willmot said.
"It's the administration's position that it is unwise management to be sinking more money into a facility that has no possibility of becoming a truly modern facility," Willmot said.
"Although we might be able to do some cosmetic work, the site limitations make it impossible to provide a comparable level of service to that anticipated by the Hudson plan," she said.
Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@kevintshea. Find The Times of Trenton on Facebook.