RUTLEDGE (WATE) - An inspection in January by the Tennessee Department of Correction found the Grainger County Jail continually has too many inmates and cells full of contraband.
However, Grainger County Sheriff Scott Layel defends the practices and protocols used at the jail.
The inspection was conducted on January 31. It found that although the jail is certified for 100 inmates, it had 106 when inspectors were there.
Grainger County Jail Administrator Barry Nicely says on the day the inspector was at the jail, he had 64 state inmates waiting to go to Tennessee state prisons.
"We continually call the prison system about transferring inmates but are rejected due to prison overcrowding issues," Sheriff Layel said.
"On the day of the inspection, our facility called the prison system and was rejected once more until an inspector got on the phone and the prison system miraculously had five openings. I found this somewhat disturbing since we had called them earlier in the day with no success," the sheriff added.
The report says the jail fire drills aren't up to date, the list of allowable items needs to be updated and maintained in the cell areas and written evacuation plans aren't posted where they can be seen.
Sheriff Layel says the evacuation plan is the same one that's been in place since 2006, and approved by inspectors for the past five years.
Inspectors also wrote that officer training files need to be updated and the strip search policy needs to be revised and enforced for all inmates who leave secure housing and return.
"Our strip search policy is the same as the Knox County facility and has passed all previous inspections," Sheriff Layel said. He added that their training was approved for the past five years by two different inspectors.
The jail needs to establish a disciplinary board for inmate hearings, inspectors said.
And contraband was another serious problem. "The inmate walls and housing areas are full of contraband and excessive items," the report says.
Sheriff Layel says the contraband is excessive books, family photos taped to walls and magazine pages.
Nicely says he worked with the inspector on the issue of inmates having books. Now each inmate can have a Bible and two books. The state said the excessive books were a fire hazard.
Inspectors recommended a thorough search and removal for the facility.
Security, sanitation and maintenance inspections are supposed to be conducted at shift change, but the report says they're "not being conducted and logged."
Sheriff Layel says the county mayor's office is responsible for maintenance issues at the jail. The sheriff's office reports issues to the mayors office, which has to authorize them and make repairs.
"Many of the deficiencies listed are due to the continued overcrowded conditions as well as the need for additional staff on each shift to maintain control," the state said.
Nicely says the new state inspector wants him to make changes with his policies and of course he'll comply.
A reinspection is required on or before March 22.
The Grainger County Jail was built in November 2005.
