Attala County to close its jail soon

Attala County is closing its aging jail for safety reasons.

WLIN-FM reports the county’s Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to close the facility after two attempts to build a new facility failed.

Board President Tim Pinkard told The Associated Press the closure should be complete by the end of the month.

The board says the county has an agreement with nearby Leake County to house all Attala County inmates at a daily rate of $19 per prisoner. Pinkard said authorities began Tuesday to transfer inmates to Leake County, about 20 miles south.

The jail holds about 24 inmates, and Pinkard said there were about 12 in the facility as of Tuesday morning.

The jail was built in the 1950s and is one of the oldest in the state.