New Itawamba County Jail Could Open By End Of The Year

ITAWAMBA COUNTY, MISS. (WCBI) – A new jail in Itawamba County could be housing inmates by the end of the year.

Construction on the 10.8 million dollar jail is moving along.  The 23,000 square foot facility will have 140 beds, a kitchen, an infirmary with its own air supply, and a ventilation system to reduce the spread of germs.

Sheriff Chris Dickinson says the new jail will be safer for inmates, employees and citizens in the region.

He also says there will be more opportunities for programs for inmates in the new jail.

“We put people first and that means the inmates, if it comes to our jail, if somebody is on a wrong road, or a dead-end road and they wind up in our jail I hope our jail and what we can do to help them can be a good detour for them and get them back on the right road, that’s the goal of that new jail,” Sheriff Dickinson said.

Itawamba County pays about $20,000  each month to house some inmates at the Tishomingo County Jail, because of a lack of space at the old jail.
Sheriff Dickinson says the new jail should be open by the end of the year.