The DeKalb County Jail has been granted continued certification after a recent meeting with the Tennessee Corrections Institute Board of Control.
The board reviewed the county’s plan of action for the new jail facility before granting certification. Jail Committee Chairman Larry Green said coming out of the meeting, the county needs to keep following its plan of action.
“As long as you follow your plan of action and as long as you continue to move forward toward resolving your issues with your jail, they are very understanding,” Green said.
The certification now allows the county to continue to thoroughly work through the process to build a new jail that will meet TCI certifications. Green said the county is currently developing a design concept for the new jail and is about to close on the Smith Road property where the new jail will be built.
“Once we get the core drilling results back, and civil engineers look at it to make sure that it is okay to build on it, we work on these design concepts,” Green said. “Once TCI approves of the design concepts, then we will be ready to move forward from there.”
Green said there have not been any recent challenges hindering the process.
Green said things have kind of cooled down a little bit, even though some people are still opposed to the idea of building a new jail on Smith Road.
“I think by and large most people are kind of resolved to the fact that we got to do something, and this may be our best alternative,” Green said. “Of course, we will find out for sure next year because we have an election coming up and all commissioners will be up for re-election, so we will see what happens there too.”
Green said the county will relax on the jail once the county gets the project across the finish line.
“We are not there yet,” Green said.
