ALFRED – Tensions at the York County Jail remain high among prisoners, and officials hope to ease overcrowding at the facility by placing modular units inside the security fence.

The York County board of commissioners was to open bids Wednesday for a modular housing unit that could fit up to 30 inmates and relieve some of the pressure on the main building.

The unit would house minimum to medium security inmates.

Overcrowding at jails is a problem statewide, but the problem became violently evident Feb. 4 in York County when about 40 inmates rioted, broke windows, burned mattresses and clogged toilets before being subdued by guards in riot gear.

Pockets of tension are still evident among inmates. On Monday night, a couple of inmates jammed the locks on the doors to their cells and got loose in the common area, Deputy Chief Maurice Ouellette said Tuesday.

The inmates were located in Cellblock F, where the riot occurred. They threw trash under their doors and covered the lens of the security camera with toilet paper. There was no damage or injuries.

“They weren’t going anywhere; nothing was broken,” Ouellette said.

Jail administrator Michael Vitiello said he does not expect charges in connection with the outburst. He said overcrowding was not a factor in the disturbance since the cellblock was under capacity.

But, he said, the modular building and the eventual construction of the new $20 million York County Jail will boost morale among staff members and relieve the stress among inmates.

Overcrowding increases tension “because there are a larger number of inmates vying for seats for visits, meal service takes longer, less time in conference rooms,” he said. “The overcrowding in this facility can be likened to an increase on service anywhere.”

The modular unit comes as jail officials are considering alternative sentencing programs, including a drug court, to ease the housing crunch at the 22-year-old jail. The facility was designed to hold 56 inmates but currently holds nearly twice that number.