Macon-Bibb County Mayor Lester Miller said the county selected a contractor to expand detention capacity and add a mental‑health wing, describing the work as part of a broader justice‑reform effort intended to provide services as well as secure custody. "Just recently or yesterday, we selected a contractor to build in addition to the jail ... it's gonna provide several 100 more beds ... and it's gonna have a mental health wing," Miller said on the Makin' It podcast.

On cost, Miller said the county is "spending about 24 or $25,000,000 on this project." He said complementary reforms have focused on electronic monitoring and quicker connections to mental‑health and drug‑treatment services, and he stressed staffing and court‑process challenges that affect how many people remain in custody.

Miller also presented recent public‑safety figures: he said homicides dropped roughly 60% from two years earlier and that the county recorded 28 homicides at the time of the interview. "Homicides are down 60% from 2 years ago ... we're at 28," Miller said. He added that officials view any death as too many while pointing to several county prevention programs and partnerships funded in 2025 as contributors to the trend.

The mayor framed the jail project and the reforms as complementary efforts to treat mental‑health needs earlier and reduce recidivism. The podcast did not include outside confirmation of the contractor selection, an exact construction schedule or a procurement document; those details and the project's final budget will need verification from county commission records or procurement paperwork.