broome county jail

Visiting hours at the Broome County Correctional Facility will be expanded from 15 to 30 hours a week, according to an announcement from Sheriff Fred Akshar Monday. The change comes amid a prolonged fight over visitation rights at the jail.

The argument surrounds the county jail’s reduction in visitation hours, while a larger legal battle continues over visitation restrictions at the jail.

"People have been without personal contact from a loved one for over two years now."

Holland said she was put in solitary confinement, denied medical treatment, housed in the men's facility and harassed.

The activists say women and pregnant people at the jail are being denied access to medications, nutrition and medical care and subjected to voyeurism from the guards.

Current Sheriff David Harder announced he plans to retire at the end of this term.

“Most of the inmates are isolated from each other,” Harder added. “They’re not allowed out of their cells. They’re basically quarantined to keep the spread down.”

Many of the protesters who spoke during the hearing criticized the budget proposal for adding two new sheriff positions and keeping the budget for the Broome County jail at more than $29 million.

“A disturbing number were locked up due to slowdowns and failures in the assigned counsel and the public defender system.”

Judge Jeffrey Tait ruled the inmates did not establish their vulnerability to COVID-19 inside the jail