MACON, Ga. — An inmate caused damage this week inside the Bibb County jail, the sheriff's office confirms. They call the damage "very minor" and say an escape was not possible.
It comes just 26 days after four inmates chiseled their way out of a second-floor window in the facility, and just a few days after Sheriff David Davis presented improvements to county commissioners.
"We did a $3 million security upgrade," Commissioner Virgil Watkins said during Tuesday's meeting.
Commissioners approved those upgrades in April 2021 after the stabbing death of Deputy Christopher Knight inside the jail. On Tuesday, they were a main discussion topic as Davis presented.
"About staffing levels, and things of that nature, and a little bit leading up to improvements at the jail," Mayor Lester Miller explained.
The sheriff blames the escape on poor staffing and inmates causing damage. On Friday, Miller echoed Davis.
"You can repair a bunch of locks a day, and if you don't properly supervise the inmates, and leave doors open, they can tamper with those locks and they could be damaged tomorrow," Miller said.
The sheriff told commissioners Tuesday he's had contractors in and out of the jail the last couple of weeks making security improvements.
One thing he specifically mentioned was adding barbed wire to the bottom three feet of fence around the jail. Davis hopes it helps prevent future escape attempts.
"This is a comprehensive review of a lot of different components in the jail. The supervision piece, staffing piece, the actual maintenance piece," Davis said Tuesday.
On Friday, Miller was optimistic about another $1 million going to jail improvements. It's already in the sheriff's budget but had to be transferred from another account. Miller says he's satisfied with how the original $3 million were spent.
"Warren Selby and his company have done a report to the sheriff detailing all of the work that was completed, making some recommendations about what could've been done better, and things that need to be improved in the future. So, it's a constant process," Miller said.
The mayor says he doesn't think people should be especially worried with two escaped inmates still on the loose. He says there are plenty of people charged with serious crimes out on bond and don't cause problems. Miller encouraged anyone with information on where they are to call the sheriff's office.
You can call their tip lines at (478) 310-4502 and (478) 310-4485. You can also call Crimestoppers at 1 (877) 68-CRIME or the FBI tip line at 1 (800) 225-5324.