Clay County Commissioners have voted to hire and architectural firm to officially start the process of designing a new jail.
County Mayor Dale Reagan said the current jail far too old and needs to be replaced.
“It’s been a long time coming and several years that this has been talked about,” Reagan said. “The jail was built in the early 60’s and it currently has a 14-bed capacity. Right now we can’t have any female inmates here in the county. We have to farm them out.”
Last week the Tennessee Corrections Institute Board voted to re-certify the Clay County jail because off the county’s efforts to build a new jail.
Reagan said the county will be signing official contracts with Knoxville-based Cope and Associates Architectural firm next week.
