Construction begins on Baldwin County jail addition

Baldwin County officials broke ground on the second phase of a $65 million jail renovation and construction project In Bay Minette on Tuesday, a project Sheriff Huey “Hoss” Mack said will increase inmate capacity from 650 to as many as 951 and modernize housing, the docket room, and the master control room. It was funded by a pair of bond issues in 2020 and 2021.

“This is our first construction project since 1995,” he said. “This project is a cooperative effort by the Baldwin County Commission and our sheriff’s office to improve, modernize and expand our Corrections Center to meet the demands of an ever-growing Baldwin County.”

The nine-story Tower B of Baldwin County Corrections Center will be built once the existing administration building is demolished. Renovation has already begun on the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office’s (BCSO) new administration building, a property formerly owned by the city of Bay Minette and housing the Bay Minette Police Department. The Bay Minette Police Department will be moving to a new building on D’Olive Avenue that has yet to be built.

The county partnered with the city of Bay Minette to acquire the property for the new administration building, which is immediately adjacent to the existing jail and BCSO facilities on Hand Avenue. Mack said according to feasibility studies, the addition will meet the county’s needs for 15-20 years, but will require an additional 75 corrections employees to staff it full time. He said he plans to house local, state and federal inmates. The construction is expected to be completed by Summer 2025.

“Anytime your population grows, a small percentage is going to grow in your criminal element as well,” he said. “Jail is a place where we house inmates, but it’s also a place to be secure, to be safe and to deal with those who are incarcerated for their period of time. This facility will greatly enhance us to be able to meet all of those needs.”