Correctional Officer Shaun Shepherd, former Sheriff Jim Hammond and Sheriff Austin Garrett
The newly expanded Hamilton County Jail in Silverdale opens Tuesday.
The opening of a $32 million state-of-the-art jail will usher in a new era of corrections for the county.
Sheriff Austin Garrett said the inmate transfer will officially begin at 4 p.m. following a ceremony with local authorities.
Talk Radio 102.3 hosts Jed Mescon, Jim “JR” Reynolds and Max O’Brien (Templeton) gave WGOW FM listeners a preview on their Monday morning program with guests Sheriff Garrett, former Sheriff Jim Hammond and Deputy Chief Shaun Shepherd.
Sheriff Garrett said: “Hamilton County has the fourthH largest prison in Tennessee. There are currently 1,100 inmates housed in our prison and we process an average of 100 per day.”
The sheriff said each person arrested will undergo a thorough body scan that will provide correctional officers with all possible information about the person arrested.
Deputy Warden Shepherd said the prison has 400 CCTV cameras. The deputy warden said: “Our team has done an excellent job in reducing the stockpile of drugs in the prison, but with the new equipment and the latest technology, it will be even more difficult to smuggle drugs in from outside.”
The old Hamilton County Justice building opened in the bicentennial year of 1976. Due to deteriorating conditions, former Sheriff Hammond decided to close the jail and move everything to Silverdale in the summer of 2021. During the radio show, the former sheriff said his team had to work quickly in planning and executing the move, but once the first phase is complete, inmates will be housed in a much safer environment.
Sheriff Garrett said he was proud that planners managed to keep costs well below the originally planned $250 million.
Sheriff Garrett said the hard work of everyone involved has paid off and that taxpayers can be very proud of their accomplishments, which will lead to a safer community.
Deputy Chief of Corrections Shaun Shepherd, Sheriff Austin Garrett, Max O’Brien (Templeton), Jed Mescon and Jim “JR” Reynolds
