Air Handler Failure Worsens Prison Overcrowding | Buffalo News

A major air handler failure at Erie County’s Alden facility forced the evacuation of 65 inmates, leaving 96 cells unusable—pushing total inoperable cells across both facilities to 241. With inmate numbers rising from 717 to 760 in just two weeks, Sheriff John Garcia is under pressure as his team struggles to classify and house everyone safely. A $3 million renovation project, including new air handlers, is planned—but for now, those 96 cells remain offline, worsening an already strained system. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/d7d310d417e3becc