Overcrowding in Jails

A GROWING NUMBER OF MID-STATE JAILS ARE RUNNING OUT OF ROOM... INCLUDING ONE THAT IS ONLY 10-YEARS-OLD.

WHAT'S DRIVING THE NUMBERS AND WHAT'S IT COSTING YOU?
WHEN THE NEW SUMNER COUNTY JAIL OPENED 3-YEARS-AGO IT HOUSED ABOUT 4-HUNDRED INMATES.

TONIGHT, THE AVERAGE DAILY POPULATION IS AT 620.

THAT'S A BETTER THAN 30-PERCENT INCREASE IN 3-YEARS.

Bob Barker/Sumner County Sheriff: "You've got 7 cities here, they're all growing and they jail is no different than any other government entity whether it's utilities, water, electric department, they highways ... when all those things grow, the jail grows along with it."

Gene Bollinger/Robertson Co. Sheriff: "It is getting worse. It is definitely getting worse"

ROBERTSON COUNTY SHERIFF GENE BOLLINGER SAYS HIS JAIL -- WHICH WAS BUILT ON THE SITE OF THE OLD HOSPITAL IN 1997 -- HAS BEEN OVERFLOWING FOR MORE THAN 2-YEARS.

IT'S SO FULL, HE WOULDN'T ALLOW US TO TAKE OUR CAMERAS INSIDE.

Gene Bollinger/Robertson Co. Sheriff: "The jail is limited to 191. We've been running as high as 215 -- 218 -- 220. It's just so overcrowded you can't manage that many people in it at one time"

BOLLINGER SAYS THE BIGGEST JUMP AT HIS JAIL IS YOUNGER OFFENDERS AND WOMEN.

TO EASE OVERCROWDING, ROBERTSON COUNTY HAS BEEN SENDING INMATES TO OTHER COUNTIES INCLUDING SUMNER AND MONTGOMERY.

Bollinger: "It costs us 55-dollars a day over at Montgomery County. The state pays us on their prisoners, the state pays us 35-dollars a day."

THAT MEANS ROBERTSON COUNTY TAXPAYERS ARE PAYING 20-DOLLARS A DAY PER INMATE TO HOUSE STATE PRISONERS SOMEWHERE ELSE.

THE METRO JAIL IS CERTIFIED FOR 27-HUNDRED BEDS AND IT IS ROUTINELY OVER THAT.

TONIGHT, THE POPULATION IS OVER 28-HUNDRED WITH 3 OF METRO'S 5 JAILS OVER CAPACITY.

Scott Couch/Fox 17 News: "Metro Sheriff Daron Hall tells me they're doing renovations here at the criminal justice center downtown and in South Nashville to accommodate about 2-hundred additional inmates."

HALL BELIEVES THIS SUMMER'S RECORD HEAT IS ONE OF THE THINGS DRIVING HIS NUMBERS.

HE SAYS THERE'S AN OLD ADAGE IN CORRECTIONS, THE MORE ICE CREAM THEY SELL IN THE SUMMER, THE MORE PEOPLE YOU LOCK UP.

ROBERTSON COUNTY EXPECTS TO BREAK GROUND ON A NEW JAIL IN NOVEMBER THAT WILL MORE THAN DOUBLE ITS CAPACITY.

WHILE NOT RUNNING OUT OF ROOM YET, SUMNER COUNTY'S SHERIFF HAS PUT THE COUNTY COMMISSION ON NOTICE HE'LL BE ASKING THEM FOR MORE MONEY IN THE COMING MONTHS TO COVER INMATE MEDICAL EXPENSESOvercrowding in Jails