After years of overcrowding at the old jail, Rhea County now has a new Justice Center. The facility opened on Friday, February 19, 2021 for the public to tour before inmates were moved in over the weekend. Rhea County’s new jail took two years to complete. It cost around $2 million, which is about half a million dollars under budget. The old jail was supposed to hold only 100 inmates but the new jail will provide 342 beds for prisoners. This will result in immediate savings to Rhea County which has been paying other counties to house some 150 inmates. Rhea County’s new Justice Center also has a new state-of-the-art Control Tower with cameras that will allow guards to monitor the prisoners without in-person contact. Officials say overall the new Rhea County Justice Center will improve efficiency and safety for visitors, workers, guards, judges and inmates.
Rhea County Opens New Justice Center
Feb 20, 2021 | 6:57 PM