MACON, Ga. — More eyes are on the Bibb County jail as county leaders look to begin talks of building a new facility.
Nearly three weeks ago, four inmates escaped from the 43-year-old building. Three are still on the run. Sheriff David Davis believes the building's age played a role in the jailbreak.
This week, Davis wrote a letter to county leadership, commending the mayor and commission for supporting the effort to build a new one.
Mayor Lester Miller says he plans to put a new jail on the 2025 SPLOST. Davis says while construction can't start until well after voters decide in 2025, they can start planning now. Part of the planning is deciding where to put a new facility.
"You can build them spread out. You can build them to where they're multi-storied," Davis said. "That type of design sort of dictates how much property you need to set the facility on."
The sheriff says there's a lot to consider when deciding to build a new jail. He says right now, much of the process depends on possible developers. Once they have a concept design in hand, they can look to start planning where to build it.
Davis says that property shouldn't be "in someone's backyard," and that the facility shouldn't disturb neighbors.
"You'll have people saying, 'No, we don't want a jail facility in our neighborhood, or in our part of the community,'" Davis said.
The property at 4200 Fulton Mill Road could provide some answers about what the county is looking for. According to tax records, the county already owns it.
The 153-acre tract of land is right across the street from a current sheriff's office facility, Animal Welfare. Central State Prison is less than a mile down the road, and the surrounding area is fairly isolated.
To be clear, Davis, and Commissioner Raymond Wilder, who represents the area, say there haven't been any talks about using the land.
"I feel sure that the law enforcement center will stay close to downtown, I would think. Just due to courts," Wilder said.
Like Davis, Wilder says the jail discussion will likely be a long one with plenty of options to think about.
"It's going to be unique in its own way, I feel, because it's not something you do every year or very often at all," Wilder said.
Davis says his staff is already looking into what they'd like to put inside a new jail. At the top of the list is more space for mental health resources, more secure areas for violent inmates and more technology to help with staffing levels.