Jail Adding New Fence After Escaped Inmate

WAAY-31's Grace Campbell discusses a new addition made to Decatur jail.

New at five - the morgan county sheriff's office is adding new levels of protection to its jail.

That's after an inmate escaped from the rec yard last year.

Waay 31's grace campbell shows us the safety improvements.

A spokesperson from the sheriff's office says they decided to add any additional protection the building may need.

Including closing this gap between the fence and the building.

Pkg: mike swafford, spokesperson: "it creates an extra buffer area, so that way people aren't trying to get stuff into the jail, which they really can't now, but it keeps the public further back."

The morgan county inmate that escaped last year is the only one to do so since the building was built.

The jail currently has an open-air rec yard but a sheriff department spokesman says they're changing it because of the escape.

Mike swafford: we determined that those rec areas were supposed to have a fence covering when the building was built, but for whatever reason that wasn't completed.

So, that part is really just completing an old plan."

Mike swafford says these small changes add a new form of protection to the people in morgan county.

"really it's just peace of mind.

I think that's what people will get from this when they see it complete, if they even notice."

Look live not shot swafford believes the new precautions will prevent any inmates from escaping in the future.

In decatur, grace campbell, waay 31 news.

.

The changes should be completed in about