PCSO Expanding Jail Kitchen And Purchasing Body Scanner Through Grant

The Putnam County Sheriff’s Office has received a some $543,000 state grant with no match required.

Sheriff Eddie Farris said the money will allow multiple improvements to go along the new jail expansion. The main project being an expansion to the kitchen.

“When we add these other 500 additional beds that the additional cost is going to consist of, certainly then the kitchen is going to have to be expanded,” Farris said.

Farris said the kitchen expansion was included in the jail expansion. Farris said the grant funding offsetting that cost means savings on the overall project.

“Some of the soft costs on the new facility jail annex that we are going to build hopefully now can be addressed,” Farris said. “Things that we were needing that we may or may not been able to afford hopefully we can go ahead and make sure those get added in.”

Farris said the remainder of the money will purchase a new full body scanner, some HVAC improvements and a small amount for camera system upgrades. Farris said the upgrades would be incorporated once construction begins on the expansion.

“The grant funding will certainly be here before we’re probably ready to purchase or implement some of these systems,” Farris said.

Mayor Randy Porter announced the state health department grant at the county commission Tuesday. Farris said the mayor’s office, UCDD and Sheriff’s Office completed the application in just a few weeks.