Unicoi County Jail overcrowding: now housing 90+ inmates

The Unicoi County Jail currently has enough room to house 62 inmates, but right now, the jail is averaging 90 plus inmates, which is putting a big strain on the Unicoi County Sheriff’s department. Sheriff Mike Hensley says the county receives funding by housing state inmates, but the jail is so overcrowded, he’s had to send inmates back into the state system. Hensley said he’s working on sending inmates to neighboring counties, like Greene and Carter but that is a temporary fix. He also said he’s tried to avoid having to build a new jail, but that now looks to be unavoidable. A jail committee is currently being established, but Hensley estimated if the project were to get underway now, the new jail wouldn’t be ready until 2029.