The rear view of the Muskegon County Jail. The jail, which is over 50 years old, is in need of repair or replacement. Muskegon County Commissioners are disussing possible options, which include building a new facility, or purchasing a vacant building and

The topic has been in the works for some time now. Since the commissioners’ two-day strategic planning session, a new county jail was voted as the top priority among the commissioners, elected officials and department heads. At the last strategic planning session, the topic of a new jail was further down on the list.

Muskegon County Board of Commissioners Chairman Ken Mahoney of Montague, who represents District 1, said there are a few options to either update or replace the existing jail.

The jail, which is over 50-year-old, is overcrowded and outdated.

Two possible ideas include building a new facility, or rehabilitating the closed, state prison located on Sheridan Drive. The prison has been closed since 2009.