Franklin BOC Considers Approval of Jail Expansion

Overcrowding at the Franklin County Detention Center in Carnesville is reaching critical levels, according to jail officials and now the County Board of Commissioners is considering a request from Franklin County Sheriff Stevie Thomas to allow him to move forward with expansion plans. 

Currently, the county jail has 74 beds, but Thomas says they need 92 more.

“Every month for the last couple of years, we’ve had to house somebody out,” Thomas said. “At any given time, we have from three to 10 females housed in the Jackson County jail. If we add on an additional 92 beds, we would only need two additional staff members per shift.”

Thomas said it costs his office about $7,000 a  month to house out inmates at neighboring facilities, money he said would be better spent going towards expanding his jail. 

Thomas said one problem they have now is keeping violent and non-violent offenders separated,  as well as finding separate areas for female inmates.

The Sheriff’s Department has been working for the past two years on a design for the new pod, which if built would consist of four dorms with 24 beds each, according to architect Tom Wright, Jr. with Wright, Mitchell & Associates in Roswell.

The new pod would house non-violent offenders and women.

“Three of the pods are basically for non-violent offenders, which would free up the main jail for the higher classification inmates,” Wright said. “One pod would be for females only and would have 22 beds in it.”

Commissioner Clint Harper questioned the need to double the capacity at the jail and asked if the additions could not be done over time instead of all at once.

“I don’t understand why this cannot be built in stages, rather than all at once,” he told Thomas.

Franklin County Jail Administrator Gary Smith told the board the jail is at a critical point and something must be done before the state steps in and forces the county to expand the detention center.

“It’s getting to the point that we can’t function the way we’re functioning now,” Smith said. “Overcrowding leads to fights, leads to people getting hurt, and that leads to lawsuits.  So how do you defend that? We’ve had the grand jury say we need to build this thing. The Sheriff is saying we need to build it. I’m saying it’s time and we need to build it.”

Commission chair Thomas Bridges asked for a task force to be formed to study the expansion issue, but Thomas and Smith said there was no need since all of the plans are already drawn up.

“We’ve had these plans in place for a couple of years and we’re ready to move on this as soon as you give the go ahead,” Thomas told Bridges. 

Thomas said cost for the jail expansion to add the extra pod would cost the county approximately $1.5 million. Funding to begin work he said would come from SPLOST funds and available monies in several Sheriff’s office accounts.

The board made no decision and is expected to discuss the matter further in future meetings.