Autauga Metro Jail Nears Reopening After Nearly Two Years of Mold Remediation

The Autauga Metro Jail in Prattville is edging toward reopening after nearly two years of mold remediation and reconstruction work that has cost Autauga County more than $21 million in combined renovation spending and inmate housing fees.

Sheriff Mark Harrell closed and evacuated the facility on June 6, 2024, after declaring it unsafe for staff and inmates. Within two weeks of that closure, 168 inmates had been transferred to jails across Alabama as an outside agency confirmed what Harrell had suspected: extensive mold traced to the building's HVAC system and ductwork, requiring both deep cleaning and mechanical repairs. Harrell told the County Commission the jail "should be reopened in late March to early April."

The financial toll has been steep. The county spent more than $3 million in direct costs to house those inmates in other counties' facilities throughout the closure. County Commission Chairman Jay Thompson put the broader figure in sharper relief: "On top of the more than $3 million in direct costs for housing inmates, the county commission has spent more than $18 million on the renovation project for the jail and the courthouse. This does not include the indirect costs such as fuel, wear and tear on vehicles, and the manpower of transporting inmates all over the state."

Of that $18 million, roughly $16 million went toward renovating the courthouse rather than the jail itself, according to Kramer, who addressed the breakdown in an earlier interview.

Thompson made clear the commission is ready for the financial bleeding to stop. "We are thankful for our county partners across the state for housing our inmates during this situation, but we are ready to bring our inmates back and stop sending Autauga County dollars to other counties," he said.

The path to reopening has not been without friction. Court documents filed by the commission as part of a legal dispute included a letter from architects stating that the jail renovation is complete and the facility is able to house inmates. Harrell has said work remains to be done, putting him at odds with that assessment. The sheriff sued the Autauga County Commission in May seeking proper funding to staff and maintain the jail, pay for courthouse security improvements, and increase overall funding for his office. Circuit Judge Donald McMillan dismissed the suit on Feb. 14, citing the failure of Harrell to state any grounds upon which he is entitled to relief, according to court records.

Tension between the sheriff and the commission predates the lawsuit. According to WSFA, the Commission learned of the June 6, 2024 evacuation at the same time as the general public and was given no advanced notice, even though notice and advance planning had been extended to other individuals and entities. The Commission also voted down several proposals aimed at improving the jail in the period following the closure, though the specifics of those proposals were not detailed in available records.

Renovations were still visibly underway at the facility as recently as October 2026, and the question of exactly when the jail will receive final clearance to begin accepting inmates again remains unsettled, with the sheriff and the commission's architects offering different pictures of what completion actually looks like.