1795 -1863 Sullivan's First Jails
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![Proposed New Jail Acutely Needed by Sullivan County Present Housing Condition Disgraceful A New Jail Needed The special committee appointed recently by the Sullivan county court to investigate overcrowded conditions at the county jai] in Blountville will recommend to the court at its January meeting the erection of a new building, and it is to be hoped the magistrates no longer will defer action on a problem that grows more acute with the passing of the years. The committee did not jump at conclusions in deciding that new jail was needed, rather it gave serious consideration to the advisability of enlarging or remodeling the present structure in the interest of economy. That the committee, in the final analysis, rejected the latter course as one of false economy speaks well for the foresightedness of its individual members. The cost of a new jail need not be prohibitive, particularly if prison labor and rock from the county’s quarries are used, as has been suggested. The new building, as will be recommended to the court by the committee, would house at least 150 prisoners and would be modern and substantial in every respect, permitting of enlargement. should that become necessary at any future time That Sullivan county really needs a new jail will not be denied by anyone remotely acquainted with the situation as it now exists and has existed for many years past. Briefly, the jail is as out-moded as other relics of the “horse and buggy” era in which it was erected and no amount of enlarging or remodeling within financial reason will make it otherwise, and to incorporate it in a new building would be to destroy the architectural effect of the whole. Built to accommodate at most not more than sixty prisoners, the jail frequently houses more than one hundred and-these of necessity are crowded together almost indiscriminately, only the sexes being segregated. Such a situation, aside from rendering non-existent the little personal comfort to which even a prisoner is entitled, tends to indescribable sanitary — conditions - scores are compelled to use the same toilet, healthy prisoners are crowded in with diseased, and there is no way even to isolate those afflicted with venereal diseases. Few owners of thoroughbred horses would care to subject their animals to such dangers of environment The situation is not to be construed as an indictment of Sheriff J. D. Newland and his deputies nor of their predecessors in office. Sheriff Newland is making the best of a bad situation - he Is charged with the responsibility of confining to the county jail those committed to his care by the courts and he has no choice but to confine them to the building set aside by the-county for that purpose. That matters are no worse are due to his efforts on behalf of the prisoners, some of which he has released on parole rather than subject them to imprisonment under the circumstances. Sullivan county's jail has long been a disgrace to a people otherwise justly proud of their progress as a great unit of a great state, The jail committee has pointed the way to correction of that disgrace - it is up to the county court to do the correcting.](https://tennquest.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/1937-12-05-proposed-new-jail-acutely-needed-The_Bristol_Herald_Courier-scaled.jpg)
![Inmates Move Into New Jail Some residents of the Sullivan County jail have a new home - right across the street. A group of inmates was moved into the county’s new jail addition Wednesday evening. The addition will hold 240 minimum- to medium-security inmates, but only 96 prisoners have moved so far, said Capt. Keith Elton of the Sheriff’s Office. Elton said it’s easier to ensure security during such a transfer when it’s done in smaller doses. “It takes a long time getting them in and getting them out and getting their property,” he said. No incidents were reported during the transfer, said Sheriff Wayne Anderson. Other inmates will be moved in a few days, he said. He could not release the date for security reasons. The $3.4 million addition was scheduled to open last week, but construction oversights delayed the inmate transfer. Cell doors lacked “pie holes,” or small slits to pass items to an inmate without opening the door. Sixteen cell doors also had to be refitted, Anderson said. The problems have been corrected, the sheriff said, but a few small projects are yet to be completed. Telephones for the inmates to make calls have not arrived, he said. Although not a necessity, Anderson said each detail contributes to the overall safety and security of the jail. “{Inmates] don’t have to have a telephone, but at the same time, it eases tensions when they can call home,” he said. “We just want to make sure everything is good and safe both for the officers and the inmates.” The phones should arrive Monday, he said. The new addition was built to alleviate overcrowding in the old jail, which has 383 beds but regularly holds more than 500 inmates. The facility has eight large dormitory-style cell blocks. Together, the facilities will cost about $1.2 million each year to operate.](https://tennquest.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/2007-05-11-inmates-move-into-new-jail-BHC-p9.webp)
![Tracking technology may soon help keep some Sullivan County inmates out of jail. The Sullivan County Sheriff's Office is looking into the use of GPS tracking bracelets, which could be worn by low-risk offenders to help reduce overcrowding at the Sullivan County jail, Sheriff Wayne Anderson said Thursday, He said that with the recent expansion, the jail holds 623 people. ~ “We've already reached 750, back down to 700, to 680 ...we're averaging 700 inmates a day,” he said of the jail population. : And not all need to be there, he said. “Say you have a 19-year-old [man] who kinda messed up, and he ends up in jail,” he said. “Is that always the best medicine for that person? They learn alot from inmates... about street life, crimes ... that they might not get if they're not locked up, but they need to be punished and follow the rules.” Anderson said the Sheriff's Office started thinking about using tracking bracelets about two years ago, and on Thursday saw a presentation...](https://tennquest.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/2011-09-02-sullivan-county-gps-tracking-BHC-p5.jpg){kind=tracking}
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