No New Jail
IN ERIE COUNTY
Erie County Sheriff Garcia wants county taxpayers to buy him a new jail, and County Executive Mark Poloncarz plans to allocate $2.5 million for site acquisition, engineering and architectural design to build the jail. Garcia estimates a new jail would cost $200 million.
Background
The Jail Management Division of the Erie County Sheriff's Office is responsible for managing both the Erie County Holding Center and the Erie County Correctional Facility. The majority of individuals who are held by the Erie County Sheriff are awaiting trial or sentencing, and have not been convicted of a crime. This is due to an inability to afford bail or pretrial detention, and has impacted Black and low-income families disproportionately. Studies have shown that individuals who cannot afford bail are more likely to be detained pretrial, and people of color are more likely to be detained and have higher bail amounts compared to white individuals. This results in pretrial detention being used as a form of punishment, rather than a means to ensure court appearance and public safety. Pretrial detention also has negative consequences on individuals' employment, housing, and family relationships, which can perpetuate cycles of poverty and further entrench systemic inequalities.
- NYS Office of the Attorney General Civil Rights Division’s Investigation into the Conditions at the Erie County Holding Center and the Erie County Correctional Facility (2009)
- NYCLU Victory Forces Erie County to Reveal How Much it Spends Thwarting Investigations into its Correctional Facilities(2010)
- Settlement Agreement Between the United State of America and Erie County Under the Americans with Disabilities Act(2010)
- Small County Jail in Upstate New York Has Big Problem With Suicides(2010)
- Final Report by the New York State Commission of Corrections into the Death of Richard Metcalf(2016)
- Special Investigation into the Care and Treatment Provided to India Cummings(2018)
- The Most Problematic Correctional Facilities in New York State(2018)
- In Erie County, Jail Deaths Continue Despite High Profile Tragedy(2020)
- Sheriff’s Office Required to Take Several Measures to Timely Report and Appropriately Investigate Allegations of Correction Officers Engaging in Sexual Misconduct(2021)
- State Supreme Court Judge Ruling that the Sheriff’s Office has no Reasonable Basis for Denying FOIL request Over Video of Officer Kicking Handcuffed Individual(2023)
- Special Investigation into the Care and Treatment Provided to Michael Fears(2023)
- Lawsuit Filed on Behalf of The Estate of a Sean Riordan Who Died in The Erie County Holding Center Due to Lack of Adequate Medical Attention(2023)
The Brutality
Both Erie County facilities have a history of documented issues related to death, medical neglect, and excessive use of force by corrections officers against individuals who are incarcerated. According to a 2020 report by the New York State Commission of Correction, there were 21 deaths in Erie County jails between 2011 and 2019. Of those, 16 were due to medical issues or alleged suicide, and several were attributed to inadequate medical care. Yet, Sheriff Garcia and County Executive Mark Poloncarz want to build a new “modernized” jail in Erie County, under the assumption that a new jail will fix old problems. However, building a new jail will only entrench the power of the Sheriff's office for years to come. The constant abuse and killing at the hands of the Sheriff's office in Erie County and the rest of this nation is much larger than any one facility and will continue to result in unnecessary deaths until the dehumanization, devaluing, and targeting of Black, poor, and mentally ill people is addressed.
- NYS Office of the Attorney General Civil Rights Division’s Investigation into the Conditions at the Erie County Holding Center and the Erie County Correctional Facility (2009)
- NYCLU Victory Forces Erie County to Reveal How Much it Spends Thwarting Investigations into its Correctional Facilities(2010)
- Settlement Agreement Between the United State of America and Erie County Under the Americans with Disabilities Act(2010)
- Small County Jail in Upstate New York Has Big Problem With Suicides(2010)
- Final Report by the New York State Commission of Corrections into the Death of Richard Metcalf(2016)
- Special Investigation into the Care and Treatment Provided to India Cummings(2018)
- The Most Problematic Correctional Facilities in New York State(2018)
- In Erie County, Jail Deaths Continue Despite High Profile Tragedy(2020)
- Sheriff’s Office Required to Take Several Measures to Timely Report and Appropriately Investigate Allegations of Correction Officers Engaging in Sexual Misconduct(2021)
- State Supreme Court Judge Ruling that the Sheriff’s Office has no Reasonable Basis for Denying FOIL request Over Video of Officer Kicking Handcuffed Individual(2023)
- Special Investigation into the Care and Treatment Provided to Michael Fears(2023)
- Lawsuit Filed on Behalf of The Estate of a Sean Riordan Who Died in The Erie County Holding Center Due to Lack of Adequate Medical Attention(2023)
Alternatives
The current rate of incarceration in the US is the highest in the world, and it is not achieving its intended goals of reducing crime and recidivism. We believe that every person has inherent worth and dignity, and it is our responsibility to ensure that they are treated with compassion and justice. Rather than investing $200 million in building a new death camp, we urge our elected officials to redirect these resources towards more humane and effective solutions. This includes investing in mental health and substance use treatment, facilities, programs, and staff, robust and varied youth programs, addressing housing insecurity, food access for communities living under food apartheid, reentry housing and programming for formerly incarcerated, day/child care services, lead abatement, paratransit expansion, health care assistance/insurance, educational/vocational programming, and workforce training and opportunities.
- Poloncarz allocates $2.5 million to lay groundwork for a new, unified county jail(April 13)
- Viewpoints: No to a new jail(April 23)
- Testimony in Opposition to the New Jail by Jerome Wright(April 27)
- FTP Community Forum (May 11)
- Letter Submitted to the Legislature on Behalf of Coalition Regarding the Separation of the Needs Assessment and Feasibility Study(May 16)
- Community Inclusion in Public Safety Needs Assessment Resolution Submitted by Legislator April Baskin(May 22)
Where Are We Now?
As of May 2023, Erie County Legislators agreed to amend a provision to spend $2.5 million on a feasibility study for and acquisition of land for a new jail, to include study of whether Erie County actually needs new jail, and to withhold $1.75 million of $2.5 million until the study is complete. Community involvement is mandated in the needs assessment, and Free The People leaders along with other community organizations urge the legislature that the community have the ability to participate in the choice of requests for proposals (RFP) for the needs assessment, and that the legislature keep the needs assessment and feasibility study separate.
- Poloncarz allocates $2.5 million to lay groundwork for a new, unified county jail(April 13)
- Viewpoints: No to a new jail(April 23)
- Testimony in Opposition to the New Jail by Jerome Wright(April 27)
- FTP Community Forum (May 11)
- Letter Submitted to the Legislature on Behalf of Coalition Regarding the Separation of the Needs Assessment and Feasibility Study(May 16)
- Community Inclusion in Public Safety Needs Assessment Resolution Submitted by Legislator April Baskin(May 22)
Prisons do not disappear social problems, they disappear human beings.
—Angela Davis
TAKE ACTION
Sign The Petition
By completing this form, you agree to not supporting the building of a new jail in Erie County and asking your elected county legislator to invest in our communities’ well-being and not the detriment that further mass-incarceration will cause.
No New Jail Toolkit
Use this guide to take action and demand Erie County leaders reject Sheriff Garcia’s proposal to build a new jail and instead invest more into our communities to create true public safety.