Sarah Trafton is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media with 38 men in custody, the new Greene County Jail could be at or near capacity when it opens in July. The jail will consist of 12 cells for women and 48 for men. Some of the cells will be reserved for people with distinct classifications and therefore unavailable to the general population. Greene County Legislature Chair Patrick Linger estimated there are about 34 or 36 general population cells to house men. “If you take the 48 male beds and take out the classification cells, what we have furnished is pretty much full,” he said. The jail contains 80 cells, but only 64 are furnished with bunks, sinks, toilets and desks. In the event the county requires more space, the special classification cells could be used, Linger said. “On a temporary basis we can apply to use them for the general population, but they’re not supposed to be used for permanent general population,” he said. The county also has the option to furnish the upper floor of one of the pods and some cells are designed for double occupancy. “With Commission of Correction approval, we can double bunk up to 20 percent of the cells,” Linger said. Until the new facility opens, individuals locked up by Greene County are being housed at the Albany, Ulster and Columbia county jails at the cost of $70 to $75 per day, per person. The majority of jail construction was completed on schedule by January 24. The state Commission of Correction will make its final inspection in April. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.