Former upstate New York jail turns into emergency center for 100 homeless people to house them during coronavirus pandemic
- The vacant housing units at the Dutchess County Law Enforcement Center and Jail campus in Poughkeepsie, New York will turn into a homeless shelter
- The housing unit can hold 100 homeless guests, 52 male and 48 female
- The units will be turned into a shelter to space out the homeless population, practice social distancing and prevent the spread of COVID-19
- Guests who exhibit symptoms of coronavirus will be held in separate unit
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An Upstate New York town has transformed its local vacant jail into a 24/7 emergency center for the homeless population to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.
On Saturday Dutchess County announced an emergency order to use the previously vacant temporary housing units (PODs) at the Dutchess County Law Enforcement Center and Jail campus to repurpose it for those in need in the global pandemic.
‘We are utilizing every resource at our disposal to respond quickly and effectively to this rapidly evolving health situation,’ County Executive Marcus Molinaro said.
‘Since social distancing is almost impossible at most homeless shelters, we can use the dormitory-style PODs to help create necessary space to help prevent further spread of this illness and increase our ability to respond to cases within the homeless population as needed.’
On Saturday Dutchess County announced an emergency order to use the previously vacant temporary housing units (PODs) at the Dutchess County Law Enforcement Center and Jail (bare bunk beds above) to shelter and space out the homeless to prevent the spread of COVID-19
The facility has the capacity to hold up to 100 people and has 48 female beds and 52 male beds. Two dormitory-style buildings will be divided into male and female sections to assure social distancing among shelter clients. Exterior of the prison above
The move comes after Molinaro declared a state of emergency in the county due to the pandemic.
The facility has the capacity to hold up to 100 people and has 48 female beds and 52 male beds.
Two dormitory-style buildings will be divided into male and female sections to assure social distancing among shelter clients, according to Mid Hudson News.
‘It has shower facilities and it has laundry facilities. But that part of the jail is now not being used. So the county is retrofitting the access to those for that part of the jail,’ Mental Health American’s executive director Andrew O’Grady said to the Poughkeepsie Journal.
Guests can come to the prison freely and if they experience symptoms of the coronavirus they will be moved into a separate unit.
Guests may come and go as they please.
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‘No one is a prisoner. No one is being treated like an inmate. It just allows us to have a bigger space, more social distancing, and allows us to expand if necessary to isolate people that may need to be isolated,’ O’Grady said.
The PODs were first opened in 2015 as temporary housing for inmates previously boarded in other counties but have been vacant since January after the county reduced the jail population through restorative justice programs and through the state’s bail reform legislation.
The shelter transformation is a joint effort between the County government and Hudson River Housing and Mental Health America. Dutchess Outreach will provide food service to shelter guests.
There will be physical barriers between the shelter and jail for extra security.
If needed officials say an additional POD will open as an alternate care facility if any homeless individuals need treatment or care.