Mercer County Regional Council of Governments has started a $50,000 renovation project of the Greenville Regional Lockup.

COG plans to update the antiquated facility and prepare it for new high-tech equipment, said Executive Director James DeCapua.

Work began a month ago to put in new surveillance cameras in the cells and a buzzer entry system, reconfigure the lockup for more efficient work space, repair the plumbing in the cells, widen the entrance hall, and put in a new kitchen, washer and dryer.

"We're trying to accomplish a lot with $50,000," DeCapua said. "It's desperately in need of renovation."

The money will come from a state grant Greenville received through its status as a financially distressed community. COG is paying the money up front and will be reimbursed when the grant funds are released, DeCapua said

Some of the work is being done on an emergency basis without bidding, while bids will be accepted for work that can wait, he said.

Some of the renovation work is being done to allow the installation of LiveScan Digital Fingerprint Units and Commonwealth Photo Imaging Units.

The equipment will allow police departments to get rid of their ink cards and Polaroid cameras they use to process prisoners, and the information will be transferable to state and national data bases.

A separate grant allowed purchase of LiveScan and CPIN units for the Greenville lock-up, Shenango Valley Regional Lockup in Farrell, and Mercer County Jail.

The Farrell lockup will need minor renovations to accommodate the units.

The equipment likely won't be installed until after the first of the year.

The new technology does not come cheap. While it will be bought with state grants totaling $209,075 and a county-paid match of $22,025, maintaining each unit will cost $4,000 a year, DeCapua said.

Plans are in the works to ask the municipalities served by the lockups to petition Mercer County President Judge Francis J. Fornelli to pass on some of the cost of the units and the general cost of incarcerating prisoners in the form of costs assessed to people convicted of major and minor crimes.

The municipalities pay the lock-up costs through fees assessed for lodging prisoners.

DeCapua said other counties assess such expenses through court costs.

"If we can get anything in that area it will be more than we're getting now," said DeCapua, adding that he's not out cover all the lockup costs through court costs.

COG took over operation of the Greenville lock-up May 15 and is awaiting its member municipalities -- Greenville, West Salem, Hempfield and Pymatuning townships and the Mercer County on behalf of the Sheriff's Department -- to pass enabling legislation officially creating the regional lockup and establishing financing, operation and administration.

The state also has awarded COG a $60,000 grant for first-year operations and equipment costs at the Greenville lockup.