- The jail, designed for 400 inmates, currently holds 230, raising concerns about health and safety.
- The facility’s outdated plumbing, drainage, and security systems require urgent attention.
- Watch what the county has planned to fix the jail issues and what the expected timeline is.
BROADCAST SCRIPT
Aging facilities and inadequate resources are making the Thomasville jail harder to run.
As the county plans for repairs, I have a look at some of the biggest concerns.
The Thomasville jail, built 32 years ago, is now struggling under outdated infrastructure and overcrowding.
“It was designed to last 20 years, and we’ve done a pretty good job maintaining it, but now we need to do some serious upgrades to it,” said Watkins.
Currently housing 230 inmates, the jail is only at half of its official capacity of 400.
But overcrowding is a real concern.
“I think you’d have ventilation issues, diseases, or infections,” said Burgess.
Another issue is the need for separate spaces to house inmates who deal with mental health issues.