County commission approves temporary jail in Tuscaloosa

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (WBRC) - Plans to place a temporary jail across the street from the Tuscaloosa County Jail are moving forward, meaning some low security inmates are going to be on the move.

The Tuscaloosa County Commission approved the next step in the process to eventually upgrade the county jail.

Commissioners accepted the lowest bid for a company to install temporary pods that will form a new temporary jail in an empty lot near the Tuscaloosa County Jail that is being cleared for the structure.

Compass Civil Construction of Moundville won the bid for just over $992,000.

The work will include setting up 70-feet long, 20-feet wide trailers for jail pods, finishing site work, drainage and utilities.

The Tuscaloosa County Sheriff’s Office needs the temporary jail for low security inmates so that the current jail can be renovated to include a new behavioral unit so inmates can have better treatment for mental health problems.

“The Commission really worked with us to keep the inmates here locally instead of having to send inmates all over the state to different jails while we establish this temporary jail across the street from the current location,” Chief Loyd Baker said.

The temporary jail pods could be ready by this summer. The renovations to the jail haven’t started yet, but they’re expected to take a couple of years to finish when they finally do.

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