TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Azya Thornton on Apr 22, 2026

Rutherford County Sheriff Mike Fitzhugh said the county is developing a plan to build a new jail to address ongoing overcrowding, the Rutherford Source reports. The process is expected to take about five years. The current detention center, built in 1998 for 500 inmates, now houses more than 1,000 and is considered full at 834. Fitzhugh said more than 100 inmates sentenced to state prison remain in local custody because of limited space in the Tennessee Department of Correction, with the county spending about $92 per inmate per day while receiving $42 in state reimbursement. He also addressed the sheriff’s office agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and noted deputies’ salaries remain about $15,000 lower than those of city police officers despite recent increases. He concluded his remarks with an announcement that he plans to retire Sept. 1 after serving as sheriff since 2017.