Hamilton County Opens Newly Expanded Jail, Receives Grant for Drug Treatment Pilot - Articles

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Posted by: Stacey Shrader Joslin on Aug 13, 2024

A newly expanded Hamilton County Jail is set to open this week following $32 million In improvements, Chattanoogan.com reports. County Sheriff Austin Garrett said booking of prisoners would begin Tuesday afternoon after a ceremony with local officials. The jail will feature an “elaborate body scan” to deter drug smuggling and 400 security cameras for surveillance. Garrett said the renovations were kept below the projected cost. The facility in Silverdale opened in 2021 and currently houses 1,100 inmates. In related news, the county recently received a $250,000 grant through the Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Use Program to create a treatment pilot program that will offer medications and therapeutic support for incarcerated individuals struggling with opioid use. Mayor Weston Wamp announced that initiative.