Awful conditions prompt major changes at Walker County Jail
WALKER COUNTY, Ala. (WBRC) - Mold in the showers. Graffiti on the walls. Toilets that were unsanitary and that’s putting it mildly.
These were some of the conditions at the Walker County Jail.
“The majority of our toilets did not work or were not in operating conditions. We did not have hot running water. We did not have proper lighting in the jail. It was a very, very, sad situation that our jail had gotten into over the years,” said Sheriff Nick Smith.
Smith can’t speak to why the facility was so neglected, because that was before he took office.
Just before he was sworn in mid-January, the county commission approved spending up to $900,000 on improvements. That included everything from painting, to cleaning, to security.
“New locks and also 97 new cameras inside the facility,” said Smith.
We were shown one of the dorms, where work is on-going. You can still see the remnants of the conditions that inmates were forced to live in.
There are also dorms where renovations have been completed. There is now everything from hot water, to proper lighting, to proper bedding.
“A lot of people think well they are in jail, they shouldn’t be treated like it’s a hotel, and I understand that completely. These individuals have committed crimes. But at the same time we are held to a standard by state and federal codes that we have to meet. And we were not meeting those standards prior to January 14 and that’s where we’re trying to get to,” said Smith.
The sheriff adds the improvements make the jail safer, not just for the inmates but also for the jail staff.
They’ve also just implemented a body cam policy, where jailers now wear them to record any interactions they have with inmates.
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