Dutchess County Comptroller's Office Releases 7th Follow-Up Audit for the Justice & Transition Center

The Dutchess County Comptroller’s Office has released its 7th follow-up audit regarding the Justice and Transition Center (JTC/“the Jail”) and the Law Enforcement Center (LEC/“Sheriff’s Office”) for the period January 1, 2024, through December 31, 2024. The JTC/LEC project remains the largest capital project in Dutchess County history.

The Law Enforcement Center was completed in February 2019 and has had minimal fiscal activity since the last audit report released by the Comptroller’s Office. Total expenses for the audit period totaled $33.65 million, with an additional $220 for the annual permit fees payable to the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation.

As of December 31, 2024, the total project costs attributed to the JTC amounted to $131.2 million, with an increase of $9.3 million from 2023. Final project closeout of the JTC facility is now estimated for August 2028 to account for the demolition of the temporary housing PODS and the remaining site work.

To ensure proper oversight and accountability, the Comptroller’s Office has, and will continue to, monitor all transactions associated with this project and remains committed to ensuring the transparency of tax dollar spending for residents. The Comptroller’s Office continues to be thankful to the Dutchess County Department of Public Works and the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance reporting this information to the taxpayers of Dutchess County.

The Dutchess County Justice & Transition Center (JTC) Special Report for January 1, 2024-December 31, 2024 can be found on the Comptroller’s website (.pdf).