Rutherford County’s record growth is putting a strain on more than just roads and schools. The county jail is overcrowded, according to Sheriff Mike Fitzhugh, who raised the concern at a recent Public Safety Committee meeting.
Now, one county commissioner says it is time to start planning for a bigger facility.
Commissioner Allen McAdoo said the county is trying to manage growth without raising property taxes.
“What we’re trying to do is take care of this growth without increasing our property taxes,” McAdoo said. “So far we have been able to do some projects and haven’t increased those property taxes.”
The jail, originally built to hold 500 inmates, was outfitted with double bunks in 1998 to make space for more prisoners. Even with those changes, overcrowding remains a major issue.
“We got up to a 1,080 four weeks ago,” Fitzhugh said. “I made a call to the state, and they took 80 and I don’t know when that’s going to happen again.”
The facility has 977 beds, but the Tennessee Corrections Institute considers it full at 831, Fitzhugh told commissioners.
“Right now we’re certified by the Tennessee Corrections Institute, but overcrowding will cause us to lose that certification,” Fitzhugh said. “If we do then the state will not back us on lawsuits because we’re not certified.”
As of August 25, more than 200 state inmates were being housed at the jail. Fitzhugh said it costs the county $93 a day to house those inmates, while the state reimburses $41 per day.
As Rutherford County’s only jail, Fitzhugh warns they will eventually need a larger facility.
McAdoo agrees and said the county should begin planning sooner rather than later.
“We want time so we can start saving money to start looking for a site or if we’re going to build on the same site,” McAdoo said. “Making those decisions, we want time to do that.”
As of Friday morning, the sheriff’s office reported the jail was holding 995 inmates.
This story was reported on-air by Aaron Cantrell and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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