Area 1- Inmate Services/Personnel Training Medical Department Forensic Mental Health Alcoholism & Substance Abuse Program Religious Services First Time/Last Time Program Dental Clinic

     Therefore, the Holding Center is accepted as the alternative.

     Referrals often involve seriously mentally ill inmates, as evidenced by the number of people who were sent to the Erie County Medical Center, the Buffalo Psychiatric center, the Gowanda Psychiatric center, the Rochester Psychiatric Center, and the Mid-Hudson Psychiatric Center for in-patient treatment.

      The use of a Sheriff guarded Psychiatric Service Unit at the Erie County Medical Center for psychiatric patients has remained essentially constant.

     The focus of treatment is to stabilize psychosis when treatment needs are urgent or the seriousness of charges precludes leaving custody. Serious suicidal or assaultive behavior may also be located on this unit.

Muslim

     Muslim services are scheduled every Friday from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. for male and female inmates.

     Special services are rendered during the celebrated religious holidays, such as Ramadan, which involves a period of fasting, sunup to sundown, followed by a feast.

     After the selection process is completed, inmates are then assigned to various duties and areas of the facility.

     The program is funded from the New York State Department of Education/Incarcerated Education program. Originally created for those inmates 16-21 years of age, it has been expanded to include those over 21 who are eligible for services.

Erie County Holding Center Tour Information

General Information:

The Erie County Holding Center is a maximum security, adult detention facility, operated by the Sheriff of Erie County. In an effort to positively interact with the community and in support of the educational process, the Jail Management Division of the Erie County Sheriff's Office conducts regularly scheduled tours of the Erie County Holding Center for High School and College level student groups, Citizen Police Academy Classes and groups of "At risk" teens.

Contact Information: Tours may be scheduled by calling, Chief Jeffrey Hartman, (716) 858-7022 or by writing to:

Erie County Sheriff's Office
40 Delaware Avenue
Buffalo, New York 14202
Attn: Chief Jeffrey Hartman

What Can You Expect To See And Learn?

The typical tour lasts 1½ hours. Students will begin their tour in the public lobby, inmate visitation and administrative areas. The guiding Deputy will provide the students with an overview of the vast array of duties and responsibilities required of the Sheriff, as well the variety of services that the Erie County Sheriff's Office provides to the community. The specific mission of the Jail Management Division will be discussed as well as the qualifications and training requirements for employment as a deputy Sheriff. Students will then undergo a security briefing and secure their coats, purses, etc. Students will be allowed to observe the operation of the facility Control Center and then will enter the "secure" area of the facility.

Within the "secure" area of the facility, students will observe the intake and booking process that all prisoners undergo upon admission to the facility. Here, the tour guide will discuss issues such as how and why a person may be remanded to jail and the purpose of bail. Students will see the "programs level" and learn about the types of programs and services, provided by the facility. Deputies will discuss the programs that are required by law ("rights") as well as those provided at the discretion of the facility ("privileges"). Finally, students will visit actual housing areas within the facility and will observe, first hand, the living conditions afforded to inmates. The various styles of housing available within the holding center as well as the inmate classification system will be discussed.

High School Groups:

Tours are limited to high school juniors or above and are specifically geared toward students studying government, law, criminal justice, or a closely related subject. Tour groups are limited to twenty-five (25) people. If your group is larger than this, consideration should be given to scheduling two or more tour. These tours are conducted on Thursdays and Fridays, beginning at 9:30 am. All tours must be scheduled in advance. Telephone Reservations are accepted, but must be made by the teacher or principal. All reservations must be confirmed in writing.

College Group: Tours are designed for students majoring in Criminal Justice, Correctional Administration, Police Science, Law, Governmental Administration or a closely related field. Tour groups are limited to twenty-five (25) people. If your group is larger than this, consideration should be given to scheduling two or more tours. Tours may be scheduled at 9:30am for classes meeting during the day or at 6:30pm for evening classes. All tours must be scheduled in advance. Telephone reservations are accepted, but must be made by the professor or instructor. All reservations must be confirmed in writing.

Citizen Police Academy Classes:

Tours are specifically designed for Citizen Police Academy Classes. Citizen Police Academy groups may schedule tours beginning at 6:30pm. The typical tour lasts three (3) hours, depending upon the size of the class. These tours are designed to accommodate a maximum of ten (10) people. If your group is larger than this, please consider scheduling multiple sessions. All tours must be scheduled in advance. Telephone reservations are accepted, but must be made by the sponsoring agency. All reservations must be confirmed in writing.

"At Risk Teen" Groups"

Individually designed tours are available to social service agencies, managing groups that may be considered "at risk teens". The minimum age for this type of tour is fourteen (14) years old and tours are limited to twelve (12) people. If your group is larger than this, please consider scheduling more than one tour. These tours may be scheduled for 9:30am or 1:30 pm. Telephone reservations are accepted, but must be made by the Program Manager. Those wishing to reserve this type of tour should be prepared to discuss the specific dynamics of their group with us so that we may design a tour specific to your needs.

Guidelines/Safety Precautions:

Due to the nature of the facility, safety cannot be overemphasized. Additionally, because the prisoners confined at the Erie County Holding Center have only been accused of committing crimes, certain legal considerations must be taken into account. In order to provide for the safety of the students as well as to protect the legal rights of the inmates, we ask that the following points be discussed with students, prior to arrival at the Holding Center.

• The Erie County Holding Center houses persons accused of committing a wide variety of offenses, ranging from petit crimes to extremely violent felonies. It is likely that students may encounter prisoners, known to them from the newspaper, television, or even from there own neighborhoods.

  The basic premise of the American criminal justice system is that a person is assumed to be innocent until proven guilty, beyond a reasonable doubt, in a court of law. While students are encouraged to discuss their experience at school and with their families, it is expected that students will not openly discuss specific persons that they may have encountered while touring the facility.

• The following items are not permitted within the Erie County Holding Center and should not be brought to the facility on the day of the tour.
  • Weapons or dangerous instruments of any kind, including knives, nail clippers, multi-tools or chemical sprays (Mace®, etc.)
  • Jewelry such as necklaces, earrings, bracelets, facial piercing or hair clips.
  • Cell phones or pagers.
  • Tobacco products, lighters or matches.
  • Chewing gum.

• Proper dress is required. Anyone, that in our opinion is dressed inappropriately or provocatively, will be denied access to the facility.

• A certified police narcotics detection dog is on duty daily. Anyone found to possess narcotics is subject to arrest and criminal prosecution.

• Teachers are responsible for the identification, accountability and conduct of their students. Teachers will be required to provide their NYS Driver's License and School identification upon arrival. Teachers must provide an accurate headcount at the beginning of the tour, and must be able to positively identify each student in the group. Periodic headcounts will be taken throughout the tour. The group will not be allowed to exit the facility until each student has been positively identified and the total headcount has been verified.

• Parental permission slips for this field trip, must contain the following notice:

*NOTICE TO PARENTS:
"On______________ the students will be touring the Erie County Holding Center, a maximum- security adult detention facility. They will directly observe the day to day operations within the facility and may come into contact with persons accused of committing felony crimes."