It’s been six years since prisoners were moved out of the old York County Jail on Route 4 in Alfred. The lock-up has been empty ever since, seemingly unfit for use by civilized society.
But now, if you’ll excuse the metaphor, rehabilitation is underway. With hard work and the right attitude, it might have a future. Volunteers are inside each weekend, transforming the old house of detention into offices and working space for the York County Emergency Management Agency.
It’s not likely that many think fondly about the grim concrete and brick structure, but it was built to withstand heavy use and heavy weather. It seems to be the perfect fortress for an agency responsible for maintaining safety and order in an emergency.
For Emergency Management staff, it will eventually be a step up from their present quarters. Besides better office space, EMA is looking forward to reconfiguring the jail’s former indoor exercise area as an emergency operations center for use during disasters.
The county once hoped to sell the six-acre jail property, but it was taken off the real estate market after it failed to draw any reasonable offers.
Getting the old jailhouse into shape will require a new heating system, insulation and new windows. With the help of ongoing volunteer work, the cost of renovation is estimated at $300,000.
The out-of-pocket costs will be largely covered by federal stimulus funds. The project will one day be another good example of how a progressive approach ”“ the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act ”“ can redeem even a seemingly hopeless case.
Rehabilitation of the old jail is the right thing to do. With the right improvements it is likely to once again be useful to society.
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Questions? Comments? Contact Managing Editor Nick Cowenhoven at nickc@journaltribune.com.
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