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Mayor escalates adult detention center planning amid overcrowding concerns
Summary
Rutherford County mayor told commissioners the timeline for a new adult detention center has been accelerated because of overcrowding; programming, design and construction could take four to five years and costs are currently uncertain.
The mayor told the Property Management Committee that county leaders must accelerate planning for a new adult detention center after recent population pressures at the existing facility.
"Last month, Sheriff Fitzhugh told me that he had he was over he was at 1,065 inmates," the mayor said, citing recent capacity figures and noting the Tennessee Department of Corrections took about 80 inmates to relieve congestion. The mayor said county officials are concerned that failing to address capacity could invite state or federal intervention and increase long‑term costs.
The mayor described a multi‑step schedule the county intends to follow: complete programming in roughly 12 months, hire an architect for design (about 12 months), and then bid and build the facility (about two years). "If everything went exactly according to plan … it would be at least 4 years and more probably 5 years before we could occupy that facility," he said.
County leaders discussed potential scale and cost but no firm estimates were presented. Commissioners asked whether the two‑to‑three‑year timeline referenced by the mayor meant design or construction; the mayor clarified that the county must first finish programming and design before a construction schedule can be set.
Cost considerations and revenue context
Commissioners noted a state payment shortfall for state‑sentenced inmates: in committee discussion, members said the state pays roughly $41 per day while the county's cost was cited at about $93 per day for these inmates, creating a per‑person deficit the county absorbs when it holds state prisoners locally.
The mayor said county staff are exploring options that could create operating efficiencies by co‑locating adult, juvenile and correctional work center services so shared functions (medical, kitchen, security personnel) could reduce recurring costs, but he warned the project will be expensive and that specifics about financing have not been determined.
Ending
No design contract or appropriation was approved at the meeting. The mayor said public‑safety committees will continue analysis and that officials hope to bring structured recommendations to the commission after programming and cost estimates are complete.
