George ThackerDAYTON, Tenn. – Rhea County commissioners on Tuesday voted unanimously to instruct an architect to prepare a sketch of a jail on property adjacent to the current jail and courthouse.
Commissioner Ron Masterson, in pushing the proposal, said information provided by architect David Brown of KBJM Architects Inc. of Mount Juliet, Tenn., would tell commissioners if the project could work on that site.
“It either rules [the site] in or rules it out,” he said.
Brown said he could have a preliminary drawing of a building to house 200 inmates with the necessary support facilities for commissioners’ consideration by their meeting March 19.
County Executive George Thacker told commissioners that moving forward on relieving overcrowding at the jail is critically important because the jail could be inspected at any time and failing to show progress toward correcting deficiencies could result in the jail’s being decertified. He said purchasing property would show progress.