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Commission discusses weekly jail tours and documentation to meet Alabama requirement
Summary
County officials debated who must perform required jail inspections and agreed to implement weekly maintenance checklists and a monthly compiled file after noting Alabama law expects the commission chair to tour the jail weekly.
Speaker 2 told the commission that "by Alabama law, the commission chair is supposed to tour the jail a week," prompting discussion about how the county should document inspections.
The sheriff’s office and other commissioners described current practice: maintenance staff visit the jail multiple times per week and the grand jury inspects at least twice a year (sometimes via FaceTime). Commissioners discussed options to reduce risk in a lawsuit context by creating a weekly maintenance checklist and a monthly report signed by either the chairman or the private judge.
Speaker 5 suggested the chairman perform the inspection role for stronger oversight, while others said a weekly report from maintenance plus a monthly signature would be sufficient. The group agreed to create documentation and a separate file for jail inspection records, and to add reminders so monthly checks are not missed.
No formal resolution was adopted; commissioners said they would direct staff to prepare a routine checklist and a filing system to document weekly maintenance checks and a monthly compiled report for the chair or designated official.
