The Meigs County Jail has been decertified after county commissioners voted to pursue a repair plan for the facility rather than build a multimillion-dollar, 130-bed structure recommended by a state corrections standards agency.
The majority of Meigs County residents at two recent County Commission meetings urged leaders not to invest in a proposed 130-bed jail that could cost taxpayers $25 million to $30 million or more and trigger a significant property tax increase. Residents packing the most recent meeting instead urged county leaders to choose the less expensive option for making repairs to the existing 1962-era lockup on River Road in Decatur, Tennessee, with the commission approving the move in a 5-4 vote with one abstention.
In an Oct. 1 letter to Sheriff Jackie Melton, County Mayor Eddie Jewell and other jail officials, the Tennessee Corrections Institute notified leaders of shortcomings found in a prior inspection and urged them to form a plan to correct issues required to maintain state certification.
The corrections institute, a state entity that reports to the Tennessee Department of Correction, has established minimum standards for adult local jails, and the agency’s Board of Control establishes the standards to inspect and certify local correctional facilities but has no enforcement authority.
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