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| New Jail Faces Overcrowding |
| By WBIR-TV News |
| Published: 11/07/2005 |
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Jefferson County's $15 million solution to jail overcrowding is sparking concerns that even 160 new beds may not be enough. General Sessions Court Judge Ben Strand, Jr. sent a letter to county commissioners calling on them to add more jail beds now. "I would anticipate a lawsuit in Federal Court even with the new justice center which could cost Jefferson County a very substantial amount in attorney fees for the prisoners' attorney and still be required to construct beds for our prisoners," said Strand in his letter to county leaders last month. The Jefferson County Sheriff would have liked more beds, too. "We recommended 300 when we were going to build," says Sheriff David Davenport. "Unfortunately there are a lot of people that need to be in jail. Right now we're just taking the best of the worst and the rest of them are probably skating around. But, we're starting somewhere." The Sheriff and the Jefferson County Mayor point out, there's room for expansion. "We're looking at the future and so as the need arises the county commission will certainly be in a position to take care of the judge's concerns," says County Mayor Gary Holiway. Holiway says the new justice center would have plenty of room if Jefferson County didn't have to house so many state prisoners." The current jail built for 47 inmates has 149, 74 of whom are state prisoners. That's half the jail population. The Sheriff says when the new jail opens, they'll still need the old one. Judge Strand hopes there's enough space between the two, to allow him to put people who should be in jail, in jail. Construction on the new justice center is ahead of schedule and should open next fall. |
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