THOMASVILLE, Ga. (WTXL)-- A major expansion is underway at the Jail-Justice Center in Thomasville.
The plans have been years in the making and those working in investigations are some of the ones looking forward to the change.
Handling big cases in small spaces, that's how it is for Sgt. Pascal Autrey and others working in investigations at the Jail-Justice Center in Thomasville.
"Between us, the city, and the drug squad, of course, we've got over 20 something people, our assistants," said Sgt. Autrey. "We've got tight quarters. Basically (we're) all on top of each other, trying to move around."
They're crammed for now, but outside crews are hammering and sawing away to expand the front of the building. It will give them more room to work and will also make way for additional interrogation rooms, rooms that Sgt.Autrey says are desperately needed.
Right now, he says if they have a shooting, and they want to talk to a few suspects and witnesses to get information, there's currently only two interrogation rooms.
"The city could be using theirs or the drug squad could be trying to use the other one," said Sgt. Autrey.
He says it gets challenging at times, but he's looking forward to more rooms, bringing the total to four.
In the back of the building, the Thomas County Magistrate Court is getting more space.
"We wound up giving them in the neighborhood of giving them about 1,800 square feet back there. They can better serve the clientale and the citizens of Thomas County, and they have more sufficient storage and they can be more productive back there," said Lyndall Knight, the Thomas County building maintenance director.
Knight says the Jail-Justice Center is 23 years old. At the time it was built, it met the needs of the city and county.
"Since then, the needs have increased and so have the services requested and so we have run short on area, and we had to think about increasing the size of this building," said Knight.
He's says as demand continues this will probably not be the last expansion the building sees.
Knight says construction is on schedule and the $2 million project, paid for by sales tax money, is expected to be completed in December.
