County jails outdated fail to meet standards

Leon Alligood of The Tennessean reviewed state data to report on overcrowding in county jails. He found that "a total of 26 of the 129 jails statewide have been 'decertified'," because of varying reasons, ranging from unhealthy living conditions, to out-dated facilities. Of the 26 jails that were decertified, the average age of the facilities was 46.5 years old. The story also includes links to sidebars including, few penalties for not meeting standards for jails, some of the state's basic rules for jail standards and information on certified jails that have overcrowding in their detention facilities.