Grafton County Correctional Facility

1. Grafton County Correctional Facility An Analysis of Options for the Old Grafton County Jail By: Richard D’Amato, Marissa Greco, and Michael Sanchez The contents of this report were developed under grant P116B100070 from the U.S. Department of Education. However, these contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.

2. Goal To provide a comprehensive explanation of viable alternatives Grafton County has for dealing with its currently outdated jail. Benefits and drawbacks are considered for each alternative.

3. Case Studies • Demolish existing facility • Renovate facility for other use • Use facility for its historic value

4. Case StudiesDemolish Existing Facility • Carroll County, NH • Knox County, ME

5. Case StudiesRenovate Facility For Other Use • Cheshire County, NH • Merrimack County, NH • Somerset County, ME • York County, ME • Addison County, VT • Essex County, VT • Windsor County VY

6. Case StudiesUse Facility For Its Historic Value • Hancock County, ME • Lincoln County, ME • York County ME

7. Options for Grafton County • Old jail section: • Costs of demolition • New jail section • Juvenile corrections/Weekenders facility • Community outreach center • Farm-to-School Pilot Program • Alternative energy research plant • Complete overhaul • Historical preservation • Level the entire facility

8. Old jail section • Oldest part of jail built in 1897 • Run-down, dilapidated structure • Steel piping runs vertically through center of structure, renovation costly • Cost of demolition: $125,640

9. New Jail Section • Cost of demolition: $128,025 • Costs of basic renovation: $286,826 • Only includes costs of bringing building up to code (sprinklers, fire alarms, roof repair, etc.)

10. Juvenile Corrections/Weekenders Facility • Related purpose, minimal renovation costs • New Hampshire currently only has one juvenile corrections facility • Grafton County has no separate facility for “weekenders” • Relatively cheaper than other options, as infrastructure does not need to be changed

11. Community Outreach Center • Large open spaces can be used as classrooms, group counseling sessions, youth play areas • Renovation costs relatively low, structure easily adaptable for use as center • Significant cost is cost of running center

12. Farm-to-School Pilot Program • Connects the jail building to the local farmland • Educational program that benefits local farmers as well as members of community • Produce sales, agricultural programs for farmers • Potentially cost-neutral after renovations

13. Alternative Energy Research • Growing trend in sustainable renewable energy in US • New technologies, high skilled jobs, educational tools • Long-term technological benefits • Cost Neutral?

14. Complete Overhaul • Total renovation of the structure into something completely new • Can be done by the County or sold to private organization • Some ideas: restaurant, hotel, gym • Costs uncertain

15. Historical Preservation • Preserve just the old section, tear down newer section, and turn old section into historical monument • More popular during times of government surpluses, economic growth • Relatively cheap renovation costs

16. Level the Entire Facility • Total cost, including reseeding: $403,932 • No recurring costs • No future benefits to the community

17. Conclusion • Find an alternative that will benefit the community but that is also reasonably cost effective and makes responsible, beneficial use of the county’s taxpayers dollars • Consider benefits and drawbacks of previous correctional facility renovations • Consider which alternatives are within reason for Grafton County Correctional Facility