Madison County mayor applies for jail expansion grant

MADISON COUNTY, Tenn. — The Madison County Jail expansion project may be getting a little cheaper.

“It’s an attempt to put programs together to help reduce our recidivism rate,” Madison County Mayor Jimmy Harris said.

On Monday, Madison County commissioners approved Mayor Jimmy Harris applying for a state grant to go toward part of the jail expansion project.

“About 40 to 45 percent of the people that are charged with a crime come to the jail have some kind of mental health issue or substance abuse,” Harris said.

This new part of the jail will be built to help those inmates who have mental health or substance abuse issues. Pathways, Aspell Recovery and other groups will have licensed counselors in the jail to help the inmates.

“So that instead of sitting in jail they are involved in a program that will help them become a productive citizen,” Harris said.

Mayor Harris says inmates charged with felonies will not be eligible for the program.

If the county gets this grant, they will save more than $3 million.

Harris also said once this project gets underway in January, it should take anywhere from a year to a year and a half to complete.