Macon-Bibb Commission approves plans for multimillion-dollar jail expansion

Bibb County’s $28–$31 million jail expansion will add 150 beds, including more for mental health inmates, with groundbreaking planned for 2026.

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Macon-Bibb County’s plans to expand the county’s jail are moving ahead after commissioners approved Jericho Design Group Tuesday to provide architectural services for the Law Enforcement Center expansion during a special called meeting.

The expansion project aims to address overcrowding and improve safety for inmates and staff.  The expansion will happen in three phases. The first phase, which will cost between $1.2 and $1.5 million, will involve moving current parking and creating a separate construction zone. Once that is complete, phase two will focus on upgrades inside the jail, especially in the infirmary area, to better serve the health needs of inmates. The third phase will add a new maximum-security area.

Plans call for about 150 new beds overall, with a particular increase for mental health inmates. 

Sheriff David Davis, who attended the meeting, said the expansion design is a step in the right direction, especially for people with mental or physical health needs and for those who become disruptive.

“It gives us some options to place those inmates, but it also gives us some options to renovate some of the current structures inside the jail,” Davis said.

Davis also says cells can be moved to the new area once it’s built.

Sheriff Davis says this expansion will help the county manage until a brand-new jail can be built in the future.

The total cost for construction is estimated between $28 and $31 million.

Sheriff Davis hopes to have architectural drawings soon, with groundbreaking planned for the first half of 2026. The expansion is expected to take a couple of years to complete.