New Monroe prison unit to house state’s most dangerous offenders

State prison officials unveiled on Tuesday morning a new $39.5 million maximum security unit at the Monroe prison complex that will house the most violent offenders from the state’s prison system.

“This is essentially a jail in the prison,” said Mike Kenney, prison administrator for the state Department of Correction.

The new 200-bed unit – a separate building at the complex – was completed earlier this year. Half of the unit is already occupied by dangerous offenders. The other half is scheduled to open by Jan. 8.

The prison complex is the largest in the state with 2,500 offenders. It used to have only 80 beds to isolate and lock up the most dangerous offenders. With the new, other prisons in the state are expected to send those troubled offenders to Monroe, officials said.