Bryan County inmates moved after tornado damages jail
HINESVILLE, Ga. (WTOC) - Numerous counties have jumped in to assist Bryan County in the aftermath of last week’s tornado.
The Bryan County Jail sustained serious damage and the inmates had to be taken elsewhere.
Bryan County Inmates are now being held at the Liberty County Jail. Sheriff William Bowman says he’s glad to be able to help an agency in need.
The Bryan County Sheriff’s Office reached out for help last Tuesday, shortly after the weather first hit the area. Many of the fences surrounding the jail were completely torn down.
“Bryan County had their guys start transporting some of the inmates to our jail. We sent some of our guys up there to assist in the transporting process,” Sheriff Bowman said.
There are 43 inmates from Bryan County that were moved. This puts the Liberty County Jail at 240 inmates, still below their max capacity of 300.
“So far, everything has been going pretty smoothly. We haven’t had to do anything extraordinary. Bryan County has been very helpful with us in the transition,” he said.
Sheriff Bowman says Bryan County deputies are still transporting their inmates to and from court, which prevents any extra work for Liberty County deputies. He also says it’s important to help neighboring communities, especially in a time like this.
“All sheriffs, when they’re in a time of need, it doesn’t matter if you’re from the bottom of Georgia or the top of Georgia. When a sheriff says he needs help, we’re all coming,” Sheriff Bowman said.
He says the Bryan County inmates will be held here for as long as it’s needed.
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