Nearly half a year later, inmates are still not housed at the Auatuga County Jail as health and safety concerns with black mold are being addressed.
In June, Autauga County Sheriff Mark Harrell announced the surprise evacuation of the facility, citing a "moral obligation" to the health and safety of all who enter or reside there.
SEE: Autauga County Sheriff Mark Harrell evacuates jail over health and safety concerns
Employees were told not to go into the building for work, while all 168 inmates were relocated to various facilities until the issue could be fixed.
In his initial statement, Harrell blamed the Autauga County Commission for not addressing the issues properly.
Shortly after the evacuation, the jail and courthouse underwent testing to measure the proliferation and damage caused by mold and other hazards. Both the county commission and Harrell commissioned separate testing from different companies to test the level of contamination, with both presenting seemingly conflicting reports as to the severity of the mold problem.
Despite the conflicting report, both agreed that mold in the facility needed to be remediated and issues surrounding the building's HVAC system required replacement.
According to Bill Gray, an attorney representing Harrell, the initial phase of cleaning out the mold is in process, while the Commission is currently bidding out the repair or replacement of the HVAC system.
"We don't want to have any undue exposure to something that could be potentially harmful," Gray said.
With the second phase of the project still in the bidding process, Gray said there is no timeline for when the building will be operational and inmates will return.
"I do not have any indication right now as to when the inmates will return," Gray continued. "They have just issued the request for bids, and I don't even know when the reporting date is; the last day that bids can be presented."
He continued, "There have got to be tests done or confirmations one way or another that the building is safe. I do know that the company that was involved with the phase-one [mold] remediation reported that it was all clean. Now, we haven't seen a full report. We've seen a summary of the report. But, at some point, there has to be a complete inspection and testing."
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email craig.monger@1819news.com.
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