Sheriff warns jail decertification looms
1:41 a.m. May 20, 2025
DUANE CROSS
MCO Publisher•Editor
On Monday night, May 19, Moore County Sheriff Tyler Hatfield warned the Metro Council that the county jail risks decertification if officials don’t address critical kitchen and roof issues before a state reinspection in late June.
Hatfield said the Tennessee Corrections Institute (TCI), which oversees local jails, recently failed the facility during an inspection due to an inoperable fire suppression hood above the kitchen stove – a problem he first reported to the Council in February.
“We’re in talks with TCI and working on architectural drawings to move toward a fix,” Hatfield said. “But we’re on a tight deadline, and we need a plan in place before they come back in June.”
He also cited worsening roof problems. The metal roof, installed about 20 years ago, leaks throughout the facility due to failing rubber gaskets and screws backing out. Although jail staff applied Flex Seal and caulk to slow the leaks, Hatfield emphasized that the patches are temporary and a complete roof replacement remains necessary.
“We put the roof repair out for bid, but no contractors responded,” he said. “Now we’re trying to wrap the roof and kitchen issues into one repair package.”
While the Sheriff’s Office has begun working with architects and engineers, they haven’t received a final estimate. Hatfield said the only feedback so far was that “kitchen equipment is expensive.”
He said the county might pursue a loan to cover the cost and amortize it over 12 years. However, the county can’t move forward until engineers finalize the scope and cost.
Council members asked whether the county could complete the process before the June 25–27 reinspection. Hatfield doubted it. “We’d have to bring plans to the Council for approval and go through a full bidding process,” he said. “That’s going to take time we don’t really have.”
If TCI decertifies the jail, the county would immediately lose state reimbursement for housing its 12 state inmates. Hatfield said Moore County could also face the added cost of transferring and housing inmates elsewhere.
“We’d be footing the bill for everyone we house,” he explained. “There’s always a potential we’d have to ship inmates to neighboring counties.”
Currently, the jail holds around 30 inmates, including state inmates and a dorm full of local pretrial offenders. Hatfield said court delays continue to increase the inmates’ average length of stay.
“We’re working closely with the DA’s office to move cases forward, but some hearings have been pushed out one to two months,” he said.
Hatfield told the Council he hopes to present more concrete details at the June meeting and is urging TCI to give Moore County some grace during the process.
“This isn’t a single problem,” he said. “It’s the roof, the kitchen, and making upgrades to meet TCI standards. We’re trying to handle it all at once, and we just need a little more time.”
