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Bradley County law enforcement committee warns of jail maintenance backlog and staffing losses; sheriff requests CTAS cost study
Summary
At a Sept. 11 Law Enforcement Committee meeting, Sheriff Steve Lawson said maintenance at the Judicial Complex and jail staffing turnover are straining operations and asked for a CTAS study to quantify the daily cost of incarceration and help renegotiate contracts and pay scales.
Bradley County Sheriff Steve Lawson told the Law Enforcement Committee on Sept. 11 that the county's Judicial Complex and jail are facing mounting maintenance needs and staffing losses that could affect operations.
Lawson said the jail kitchen restoration following an April fire has been completed, but maintenance issues remain: ruptured pipes, HVAC failures and a required backflow preventer modification. Committee notes show approximately $94,000'—about half of the maintenance budget'has already been spent in the current fiscal year to address these issues.
Lawson reported significant staff departures since Jan. 1, 2025: eight patrol deputies and 13 corrections deputies have left the Sheriff's Office. "The county must reach the middle to upper range of surrounding counties' starting pay," Lawson told the committee, and he recommended doubling the step plan to improve retention. Committee materials also requested a CTAS (County Technical Assistance Service) study to determine the actual daily cost to hold inmates, which Lawson said would support renegotiation of the federal housing contract.
Committee materials included clearance-rate figures and a Tier 1 stipend update: Kristi Walls reported the Tier 1 stipend for convicted felons increased from $3 to $6 per day effective July 2025, and that some Tier 1 payments for fiscal year 2024-25 had not been fully received. The committee asked Sheriff Lawson to prepare cost projections and options for consideration in the county's upcoming budget cycle beginning in April 2026.
The committee adjourned with a request that the CTAS study proceed so the county can better quantify per-inmate costs and assess pay adjustments and contract terms.
