Jefferson County Commission President Jimmie Stephens told 1819 News on Friday that the commission is “completely against” the Birmingham Police Department housing those they arrest on misdemeanor charges in the county jail.
Per Jefferson County Sheriff Mark Pettway, the City of Birmingham will now house those arrested on misdemeanor charges in the county jail.
After Jefferson County Sheriff Mark Pettway told a local news station about ongoing negotiations with Birmingham-area municipalities to open a regional jail, Jefferson County Commission president Jimmie Stephens said that the Commission, not the sheriff, must seal the deal.
Jefferson County Sheriff Mark Pettway recently said he was glad the County Commission decided not to renew business licenses for electronic bingo halls. However, he had the legal means to shut the operations down all along.
Negotiations between the City of Birmingham and Jefferson County over who will take in jail inmates with misdemeanor charges have been a source of tension between the two government entities.
The Jefferson County Commission unanimously passed a record $1 billion balanced operating and capital budget for fiscal year 2023-2024 during Thursday morning’s commission meeting.
Former Alabama Supreme Court Justice Mike Bolin was sworn into the Jefferson County Commission on Monday morning after winning a special election for the final seat on July 18.