Meriwether County Jail under scrutiny after photos showing deplorable conditions surface

MERIWETHER COUNTY, Ga. - Concerns over health conditions in the Meriwether County Jail have surfaced on social media in the past week, including images showing bathroom floors rusted through as well as rusted out shower floors.  

Sheriff Chuck Smith and Meriwether County Commission Chairman Gene King took FOX 5 on a tour of the jail.  

Some of those photos which appeared on social media are accurate, but Smith and King say some of the images are old and do not reflect recent repairs that have been made. King said there are no inmates currently housed in the areas shown in those now-viral posts. 

In the main building, which opened in 1987, there are unusable cells with no electricity, and cell doors completely rusted over. A toilet was leaking water across the floor. Sheriff Smith says out of 106 beds, 38 are currently unusable because of repairs which need to be made or are currently ongoing. 

An addition was added to the jail in 1997, described as a portable metal pod. Metal sheets have been welded to repair areas where the floor had rusted completely through. And while we saw no mold, there was rust seemingly everywhere. The sheriff says it is because of the metal construction of this part of the building. 

Lights were out in a bathroom area of one of the pods in the addition, which the sheriff says was the fault of an electrical contractor last Friday and delays in getting parts that had been shipped from out of state. The sheriff says the lack of lights is a safety concern for inmates and staff.  

Smith says he and his staff are doing the best they can with the facilities they currently have, and with funds given to them by the county. 

"We have reported the issues that we have with this building to a previous board and also the board members that have recently come on," said Sheriff Smith. 

Chairman King says the county is aware of the conditions and in the last year has allocated nearly $1.2 million for repairs, including over $200,000 for a new roof, $450,000 for new plumbing, $418,000 on new doors and locks and over $82,000 for HVAC repair and replacement. So far, the roof and HVAC repairs have been completed. The rest are in the process of bid taking or awaiting start dates. 

King says that while previous commission boards have disregarded jail concerns in the past, new board members who took over in the past year are working to address numerous issues. 

"Much as we hate to spend money on this old jail, regardless, we have to spend money on this to make this usable while we try to build a new one or find the bonds to build a new one," King said. 

In an official statement from Meriwether County, FOX 5 was told:  

"Over the weekend, Meriwether County became aware of certain posts, much of which contained misinformation concerning the Meriwether County Jail.  Meriwether County is releasing this statement in response to those posts. Meriwether County has been in the process of authorizing and making repairs to the jail.  A full inspection was completed on or around September 2022. The current Board of Commissioners took their seats on January 1, 2023. Requests for proposals began going out in early 2023. The roof and certain HVAC repairs have already been completed. Bids for plumbing and doors/locks have been approved and will be completed upon the contractor receiving the necessary parts. There are isolated electrical issues that have been inspected with some repairs and additional options are being evaluated. Since the beginning of 2023, Meriwether County has committed approximately $1.2 million to repairs and improvements to the Meriwether County Jail and the Board of Commissioners have every intention of continuing to evaluate the need for future improvements to this facility."