THOMAS COUNTY, Ga. (WCTV) - A new look for the Thomas County Jail could take shape this summer as the Thomas County Sheriff’s Office lays out a timeline for much-needed facility upgrades.

Sheriff Tim Watkins said the county plans to remodel the jail, rather than rebuild the 33-year-old facility. Watkins said the county’s decision to remodel instead of building a new facility came down to budget, with a new jail estimated at around $24 to $35 million.

Phase one will begin in Pod A, where officials said major plumbing issues, lighting outages, door system failures and roof leaks have made conditions less than livable for the inmates.

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Furthermore, the first part of remodeling could total around $9 million, according to the sheriff. TCSO officials have already outlined next steps with potential engineers and they are ready to see some improvements made.

“We’ve talked with several engineers. One came this month,” Watkins said. “They measured out some plans and the best way to actually install all of this.”

The county plans to start the bidding process for architects soon and construction is expected to begin in May.

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