DeKalb County has agreed to a plan of action to keep certification of its jail in place. Under the agreement, the county will make regular reports to the Tennessee Corrections Institute (TCI) to remedy the issues with its facilities.
State prison regulators told DeKalb County officials to work toward a long-range plan to address several long-standing structural deficiencies – or risk losing certification.
The county has corrected several problems identified in an August report, but a follow-up visit this month showed DeKalb County has been unable to move forward on other major concerns.
One serious issue is the amount of square footage per inmate. State law requires a minimum of 35 square feet per person, if the inmate is confined more than 10 hours a day. DeKalb County currently has only 25 square feet allotted per person. Another major concern is the age of the main 1959 jail building, and that it lacks many of the features now required in jails, including a sprinkler system. Even the 2001 annex has its own concerns.
The County Technical Advisory Service (CTAS) will work with the county, as TCI’s Board of Control measures DeKalb County’s progress in updating its jail facilities.
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