Public tours to be offered at newly constructed Fayette County jail
With the new Fayette County jail nearing completion, officials plan to open the $44 million facility for tours.
The public tours, set for Monday, Aug. 28, through Friday, Sept. 1, at 4 and 5 p.m., will occur before inmates are transferred from the existing county lockup to the new jail, located at 245 McClellandtown Road in Uniontown.
Commissioner Scott Dunn said many people have asked about touring the facility, and the commissioners want to offer as much transparency as possible, given the significant investment of taxpayer money.
“We want to show them where their money went and how it was spent,” Dunn said.
“This is an historical event, long overdue, and a lot of people are curious about where their tax dollars are going,” Warden John Lenkey said. “I think people want to understand what it looks like inside and what it’s bringing to the community.”
While the major construction work is done, Lenkey said he anticipates the finishing touches – things like ceilings, floors, painting, and electrical and IT work – should be completed by the end of August.
Commissioner Vince Vicites said he hoped to be able to see the project move along after the jail’s ribbon cutting ceremony in May, but they experienced a couple of supply chain issues with fire suppression equipment that moved the opening back.
“We worked through that, we have most of the equipment now, and we’re moving forward in the transition process,” Vicites said. “We’ve done as much prep work as we can at this point to make the transition go smoothly, just as the whole prison project has been.”
Along with the structure and making sure everything is in working order, Dunn said the staff is being trained on the features of the new jail and making sure everything is right before inmates are transferred from the county’s current jail, adjacent to the courthouse in Uniontown.
“We’re chomping at the bit to get there, but we have to do it in a proper fashion,” Dunn said. “It’s got to be right, not fast.”
Commissioner Dave Lohr said he expects the jail to be occupied and running either in late September or October.
“We won’t be 100% sure until everything is green-lit and ready to go,” Lohr said.
Once everything is fully operational, Lenkey said they’ll go over everything carefully before transferring operations to the new facility.
When the move does happen, Lenkey said he’s hopeful the approximately 200 inmates can be transferred over a one-day period. The existing jail and the new jail are about 1.1 miles from one another. He said the county does not have the staff to run two correctional facilities at the same time, so the move will take a lot of coordination.
“This has to be done very safely,” Lenkey said, adding that a lot of planning has been done to ensure the safety of the civilians, the county employees and the inmates. “We planned as many contingencies as we could, but we can’t plan for everything.”
When the inmate transfers happen, Lenkey said they will have assistance from the Fayette County Sheriff’s Department, the Pennsylvania State Police as well as having the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections at their disposal.
Those interested in touring the facility must register to do so by emailing KMoore@fayettepa.org or by calling 724-430-1200, ext. 1611.
No phones, cameras or other recording devices are permitted on the tour, and all guests will have to undergo a security screening prior to entry. Guests must also have valid identification to check in.