DALLAS COUNTY, Ala. (WSFA) – The fourth and final phase of repairs is set to begin Sept. 1 for the Dallas County Jail, which has sat vacant since an EF-2 tornado hit the jail in January 2023.
That tornado left debris everywhere – even in the barbed wire fence – and the roof came off.
“We had inmates in there; all of the inmates had to be removed off the premises, water might have been up to your knees,” said Dallas County Commission Chairman and Probate Judge Jimmy Nunn.
The roof has since been replaced in the first three phases of repairs – as has the juvenile detention center and boot camp-but it’s the fourth phase that has held back inmates from returning.
This week, the county secured the money to sign the contract that will start that phase thanks to a more than $7 million loan from the USDA to fill the funding gap.
“They have been tremendous to step up to the plate and provide us with the rest of the funding to complete this project that is costing Dallas County about $20.9 million,” Nunn said. “It’s the insurance company that we have been dealing with that took a long time as it relates to paying out.”
Other than having a new facility, it will alleviate the costs of transporting the inmates (Nunn estimates there to be close to 200 scattered statewide) to other facilities across the state.
“We don’t know exactly how much, but I would say it’s in the tens of thousands to have to relocate these inmates and then the expense of the lease agreements and everything that we’re having to pay, the medical expenses and everything because they are still Dallas County inmates,” Nunn explained.
The final phase is estimated to be complete Nov. 31, 2027.
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