Tax dollars have a hard time of it behind bars in Ontario County

The 4-year-old Ontario County Jail has received a new security system after the one that was put in the $28.75 million facility failed a year ago. This month, a new system was installed by a different company under a seven-year lease agreement costing $957,000.

"I certainly was dismayed ... that such alterations had to be made," said Supervisor Wayne Houseman, R-Bristol. Houseman had served on the Jail Project Committee for the 276-bed county lockup in Hopewell that was three years in the planning and opened in October 2003.

"People started to notice things didn't work," said Supervisor Bill Eddinger, D-Manchester, chairman of the county's Financial Management Committee. Certain areas of the jail that were supposed to be covered by camera surveillance weren't, he said, and electronically controlled doors weren't functioning.

Back in 2002, the county hired Maximum Security Products Corp. for $2.52 million to outfit the 160,000-square-foot jail with detention and electrical security equipment.

"It was a mistake," said Eddinger.

"After we had our first problem, it was corrected by the company," said Alice Haskins, chief corrections officer. But Maximum's subcontractor, a Delaware-based outfit called Delmarva, eventually stopped providing service. Some repairs were then handled by other contractors, but eventually jail staffers put in overtime to give security that should have been covered by the electronic system, she said.

Haskins said the malfunctioning doors and faulty cameras didn't result in any incidents. "We didn't have any urgent problems," she said.

Meanwhile, county attorneys worked to recoup financial losses.

Eddinger said problems with the system had surfaced after the product's warranty expired. In the end, "it was not a good outcome," he said. "We recognized this problem, that we had to finance it. We had no choice."

The county settled on a lease agreement with Black Creek Integrated Systems Corp., a national company that specializes in jail security systems. Haskins said the company services 20 jails in the state and has service representatives in Rochester.

"It is a vastly improved, functioning system," said Eddinger. The county is paying for the lease in monthly installments, with the current monthly rate at $13,211.

Haskins said the new system is digital and includes large flat-screen monitors and other features that make it more efficient and easy to use.

Houseman said Maximum Security Products Corp. was chosen in good faith, and showed a good track record. "Their references checked out," he said. "But they didn't always keep their promises."

Julie Sherwood can be reached at (585) 394-0770, Ext. 263, or at jsherwood@mpnewspapers.com.