Construction of new jail in jeopardy

Now, the state is not living up to their end of the deal, and there won’t be enough money to build the jail.
State inmate crews were supposed to arrive in Eastman earlier this year to begin construction, but, according to the state, due to the economy, inmate construction was cut back statewide.
Last week, Dodge County Sheriff Jeff Hinson met with Georgia State Representative Jimmy Pruett, who had met with the commissioner of the state Department of Corrections.
Hinson reported to commissioners at their meeting on Monday, November 2, that the best he could understand, inmate labor would not be available until at least the first of the year, and it was a good possibility they would not be available then.
Dodge County Commissioner Carl Hosford stated, “We were totally misled, and I for one resent it.”
After some discussion, the commissioners voted to go ahead and put the construction of the jail up for bids to private firms, to see how much it will cost to build and see how much of a shortfall in funds they will have.
Right now, commissioners don’t know what the answer is to the problem, but they are looking at alternate ways to get the jail built and at ways to fund a possible shortfall in funds to build the jail.