Bradley County Sheriff Steve Lawson announced Thursday per his direction the Bradley County Sheriff’s correctional and medical staffs have been ordered to implement enhanced policies and procedures for screening new intake inmates as well as those currently incarcerated. The implementation of these enhanced policies is to prevent the introduction of the COVID-19 virus in the Bradley County Jail.
These measures include, but are not limited to, a two-week suspension of all programs that are reliant on outside staffing entering the facility, as well as the suspension of all non-essential persons from entering the correctional facility. All scheduled on-site public inmate visits will be canceled and terminated for a minimum of two weeks. However, all video home visitations will continue to be allowed and scheduled.
According to Sheriff Lawson:
“The health and safety of everyone inside and outside of the Bradley County Justice Center is of the greatest importance to my office and staff. While at this time, there have been no reported cases of the COVID-19 virus within the East Tennessee region, I believe this is a proactive measure that will greatly reduce the possible introduction of the COVID-19 virus and help ensure the health and safety of the staff and inmates of the Bradley County Jail.
I want the citizens of Bradley County to know that we take the health and safety of everyone under our care, custody and control, as well as all of the employees of the justice center very seriously. We will continue to monitor the situation and will re-evaluate whether these measures may be lifted or should continue on Friday, March 27 and announce it at that time.”
– Steve Lawson, Bradley County Sheriff
