KALAMAZOO (WKZO) -- The New Kalamazoo County Jail addition is almost ready, and will be phased into operation over the next 6 months with the Laundry and the Kitchen the first units to be put into service next month.

The Medical facility and the jail reception area will come next.

Sheriff Richard Fuller says it will give them time to build a new facility to allow them to handle all visitations by video, and to conduct more court business by video as well directly from an inmate’s pod.

The long term plan is to permit inmates and relatives to Skype from home.He says the new addition should be in full use and completely operational by late summer.