The Monroe County, N.Y., Sheriff's Office on Sunday began moving inmates into a new, 400-bed wing of the Monroe County Jail.

Sheriff Patrick O'Flynn said the new jail space would relieve overcrowding in the existing downtown jail, which - despite its official capacity of about 600 - holds about 1,000 inmates a day.

The Sheriff's Office had to obtain special permission from the state over the years to house inmates in such spaces as bunk beds rolled into gymnasiums.

" This will give us appropriate housing for the inmates, it's safer for the deputies and we'll no longer depend on variances from the (state) Commission on Correction," O'Flynn said. " It's a win, win, win."

About 200 of the inmates were moved into four of the eight new housing units, called " pods." O'Flynn hopes to open the other units by Jan. 1.

Construction of the $54 million expansion began in 2000.

The opening of the housing units is about a year behind schedule, which O'Flynn attributed to construction delays.

He said jail construction has unique challenges. Most major projects include a " punch list" of minor deficiencies that contractors can often correct after the building is occupied.

But it's more difficult to have contractors working in a fully operational jail.