JACKSON, Tenn. (AP) — A plan to expand a jail in Tennessee could cost as much as $49.5 million.
The Community Corrections Partnership Committee has recommended the plan to the Madison County Commission. The plan would add an extra 200,000 square feet to the Madison County Criminal Justice Complex, enough space for an additional 525 beds. The expansion would also include space for storage and anti-recidivism programs.
The jail has an approved capacity of 303 inmates. In the past two weeks, it has housed as many as 425 inmates.
The committee has been meeting for four years about the project. Madison County Sheriff John Mehr said the county could face a costly federal injunction if it does not act soon to address overcrowding issues.
