Report: Madison County Jail overcrowded, fails reinspection
JACKSON, Tenn. — The Madison County Jail failed two state inspections in a row because of overcrowding. State reports show the problem is getting worse. “If crime’s out there, they’re [going to] still arrest them and I mean we can’t turn them down,” Captain Tom Rudder said, jail administrator. “If they bring them in here, we keep them until somebody tells them they can go home.” According to state reports, the facility housed 328 inmates on the day of its inspection in May. That is 24 inmates over certified capacity. The state re-inspected in June and found the jail was even more overcrowded, with 32 inmates over capacity, according to a report. Rudder said Monday morning they had 361 prisoners at the jail, 57 over certified capacity. “Anytime you have more people in a confined area, there are more times or areas for confrontation,” Rudder said. According to the reports, during both inspections the state found inmates sleeping on the floor at the jail. “We give them mats and we put them on the floor and we make them as comfortable as possible,” Rudder said. County commissioners agreed to work with the state to come up with a plan of action. “You probably got some non-violent offenders there that could be dealt with in a different way,” Gary Deaton said, county commissioner. Rudder confirmed they moved inmates to the annex and penal farm in an effort to alleviate some of the overcrowding. “If crime continues to escalate, it’s hard to say that you’re gonna be able to get your numbers down,” he said. The county intends to present its plan of action to the state in September. The state says Madison County inspections are finished for the year. County leaders plan to attend a workshop in August to get a better idea of how to fix issues at the jail.
