RHEA COUNTY SHERIFF SAYS MORE JAIL CELLS NEEDED

DAYTON, Tenn. -- Overcrowding at Rhea County's jail remains a problem
despite a recent $850,000 renovation and expansion.

That's the consensus of Sheriff Leon Sneed, who told county commissioners
the 58-bed jail is averaging 88 prisoners per day.

"We had 97 inmates Sunday morning. We're only certified for 58. I'm here to
tell you I need some room," Sheriff Sneed told commissioners during a
workshop Monday night.

"I thought we had this problem solved," said Commissioner Bobby Burton.

"We did," the sheriff responded. "But the situation has gotten out of hand."

The sheriff cited several reasons for the surge in the prison population.

"Last year we busted 48 meth labs," he said.

In addition, he said, fewer prisoners are able to post bail since bondsmen
have been requiring 100 percent of bond fees up front. Three years ago, the
sheriff was asked by the juvenile judge to house juveniles, further adding
to the prison population.

Asked why the renovation and 2,450-square-foot addition to the jail did not
allow for future growth, Sheriff Sneed said the state inspector's building
specifications were incorrect.

"The design of the new expansion was based on the jail inspector's
specifications as per the number of people per square foot of cell space.

"The architects were misinformed. Those specs were wrong," he said.

Sheriff Sneed said the jail housed 36 beds when he first took office. That
number rose to 46 and then 58 with the new expansion.

"We're going to try and gain maybe 10 more beds by moving things around,
but that's a short-term fix. To maintain certification, we will have to add
more space," he said.

That prompted a discussion by commissioners of what it would cost to add
another 40 beds to the jail, with officials estimating the cost at between
$500,000 and $600,000.

But even that may not spell the end to the problem of jail overcrowding,
the sheriff warned.

"We arrested 12 people countywide Saturday night. You have no control over
it. We don't turn anyone away. The lights are always on," he said.