Bradley County Sheriff Steve Lawson and his correctional command staff appeared before the TCI Board of Control Wednesday, at their quarterly meeting held in Nashville, to request continued certification for the Bradley County Jail.
The facility was re-inspected by TCI on Aug. 15, which revealed that corrections had been made in most areas within the allotted 60 days, while others required procedures such as the bid process.
During his appearance, Sheriff Lawson presented the board with a plan of action, which includes seeking alternative sentencing options to reduce overcrowding, such as electronic monitoring. In addition, regular communication with the court system will continue for pre-trial inmate options, as well as continuing to work with the Tennessee Department of Corrections on inmate transfers. Sheriff Lawson also shared his four-year staffing plan, which was implemented with the 2019-2020 budget.
In regard to maintenance issues concerning inmate showers and water fountains, the process for these repairs began following the inspection on June 20, at which time water coolers were ordered and the bid process began for the showers. In the update for the Board of Control, Sheriff Lawson said the water coolers are scheduled for installation on Thursday and the bid selection for the shower upgrades was completed on Tuesday and they are now awaiting notification on the date of installation, a process that will not exceed 30 days. Upon completion of these repairs, a request will be submitted for these items to be removed from the Plan of Action.
Following the presentation by Sheriff Lawson, the Board of Control came to full agreement, supporting the sheriff's plan of action granting the Bradley County Jail certification under the plan presented.