State prison near Pelham expected to close for a year of more for renovations

CAMILLA — The Georgia Department of Corrections is closing Jimmy Autry State Prison in Mitchell County to make repairs that are expected to take a year or more.

All of the inmates at the facility will be moved to other prisons during that time, Mitchell County Commission Chairman Hayward, who was notified of the closing on Friday morning, said. The DOC had concerns about potential contamination of the air conditioning system.

The medium-security prison with a capacity of 1,698 inmates was opened in 1993 and renovated in 1998, according to the DOC’s website. It is located on Mount Zion Church Road near Pelham.

The process of moving inmates to other facilities will begin in a few days, Hayward said.

“The only thing I know is (from) talking with the Department of Corrections,” he said. “They’re talking about closing it for a year to 18 months. They’re putting in new air conditioning, plumbing, just remodeling the entire facility.”

Some employees will be moved to other facilities during that time, while some security officers and the prison’s fire department will remain at the site during the renovations, Hayward said.

The DOC proposed closing the facility in 2020 to cut the agency’s budget.

“They say they’re committed to bringing it back,” Hayward said. “It’s too early to tell what they’re going to do. Two years from now it might be a completely different ball game, but they’re promising they’re coming back.”

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