A county task force on corrections recently completed a study on the county's future jail needs and will present the report to the Hamilton County Commission on Wednesday.
The presentation comes a day after Hamilton County Mayor Jim Coppinger said Tuesday that $20-30 million of a planned $180 million bond issue will be allocated for the expansion of the Silverdale workhouse to help relieve the overcrowded county jail in downtown Chattanooga.
The jail, built in 1976 on the 600 block of Walnut Street, routinely houses more than the 505 inmates it is certified to hold and the Tennessee Corrections Institute found it failed to meet minimum state standards for six out of the past seven years.
Coppinger indicated Tuesday that the underscored message of the study to be presented Wednesday is a familiar one.
"The study has concluded that we have an immediate need to relieve overcrowding in our jails," he said.
This is a developing story. Stick with the Times Free Press for updates.
Tweets by @emmettgienapp