New facility is expected to open in late November

The board also authorized hiring 12 more guards for the jail.
MERCER, Pa. -- The new Mercer County Jail is expected to open around Nov. 21, the county prison board learned Monday.
Mercer County Commissioner Brian Beader reported that work on the facility on Thompson Road, Findley Township, is expected to be done by Friday, except for landscaping and other exterior work. District Attorney James Epstein, who is prison board president, said jail personnel must undergo eight weeks of training. After that, the jail can open.
Dedication of the facility is tentatively set for Oct. 28, with an open house planned for 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 29.
Epstein said opening of the new jail will allow cases to move through the local court system more quickly and efficiently. Currently, many county prisoners must be housed in other jails, some hours away. This makes it difficult to schedule hearings because prisoners must be transported back for each meeting with their attorneys.
He said having sufficient jail capacity here also gives the court more sentencing options.
Also Monday, the board authorized hiring 12 more correctional officers for the new jail. They will be chosen from a list of 20 who have completed screening.
Board members also agreed to hire Thomas Saylor of Slippery Rock for part-time jail maintenance. His hourly wage was not immediately available.
The board also agreed to pay the Literacy Council $3,250 per year to continue a program to help inmates learn reading skills.
Commissioner Michele Brooks said the expenditure is an investment in the chance inmates will become law-abiding once they are released.