Roane County is running out of time to come up with a plan to resolve the overcrowding issue at the jail. The State Fire Marshal’s Office gave the county until December 4, 2019 to come up with an acceptable course of action.

In a letter sent from Director of Codes Enforcement Christopher Bainbridge to Roane County Sheriff Jack Stockton, Bainbridge stated he did not have a plan of corrective action addressing the overcrowding that was due by November 13, 2019.  Bainbridge states he is aware the county is attempting to resolve the overcrowding problem. He notified the county in the letter of his intent to extend the deadline until December 4. The letter stated “failure to submit an acceptable plan of corrective action by December 4, or to correct the remaining violation(s) may result in an order to remove or remedy the conditions.”

The jail was built around 10 years ago to hold a capacity of 175 inmates. As of this morning, the jail was holding 269. The number was a high as 340 at one point.

Possible courses of action Roane County could take is reducing the jail population by decreasing the number of state inmates being held awaiting to go to a prison or paying other counties to house inmates

Roane County not only faces the deadline from the state fire marshal office but county officials are set to go before the Tennessee Corrections Institute Board of Control in Nashville the same day regarding the jail certification.