Blount County Jail accepts inmates from Autauga County in order to address “health and safety concerns”

The Autauga County Metro Jail was evacuated on Thursday morning, with Autauga County Sheriff Mark Harrell citing “health and safety issues” as the reason for the evacuation. The specifics of these issues were not disclosed at that time. Following the evacuation, the Blount County Sheriff’s Office announced on Facebook that they would be taking in 24 inmates from Autauga County due to the situation.

In an interview with Blount County Sheriff Mark Moon on Friday afternoon, he stated that the length of time the inmates would stay in Blount County custody was uncertain. Sheriff Moon mentioned that the Autauga County Commission would be responsible for addressing and resolving the issues at the jail, leading to the evacuation.

There were a total of 164 inmates listed on the Autauga County jail site, with Blount County offering to house 45 inmates and ultimately taking in 24. This brought Blount County’s inmate count to the cap of 175, but Sheriff Moon noted that they were prepared and had recently released 14 inmates to alleviate overcrowding.

Some inmates in Blount County expressed concerns about the financial responsibility for housing the Autauga County inmates. Sheriff Moon clarified that Autauga County would continue to pay for food and medical expenses for their inmates housed in Blount County. Surrounding counties were also contacted for assistance with housing Autauga inmates, but it is currently unknown which counties provided aid.

Upon reviewing the charges for the 24 inmates transferred from Autauga County, it was found that most were facing drug possession charges, while two individuals were charged with trafficking. The circumstances surrounding the situation and the future of the Autauga County jail remain ambiguous as the county commission addresses the issues that led to the evacuation.