Montgomery County Jail Renovations Slash Plumbing Costs, Add Educational Programs

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WAKA) — A $28 million renovation of the Montgomery County jail has cut monthly water bills from as much as $80,000 to just a few hundred dollars — and it’s also transforming the facility into a center for inmate education and job training.

The 90,000-square-foot jail, which is more than 40 years old, has long struggled with failing infrastructure. Sheriff Derrick Cunningham said massive plumbing issues forced crews to remove and replace pipes and drains throughout the building.

“Well, we had major leaks in our facility, so we had to go in and take out all of our plumbing, all of our drains, because pipes had started collapsing and replace all of our pipes, redo our drains,” Cunningham said.

The problems were so severe that the laundry room — which had run nonstop for decades — had to be gutted down to the dirt. Renovations, which have been underway for two years, are also reshaping the jail’s kitchen and bathrooms.

But Cunningham said the project is about more than repairs. The jail is partnering with its food service provider to create a culinary training program that will give inmates certifications in areas such as food safety and refrigeration.

“They’re going to get culinary skills. They’re going to get their certification in freezers, being able to make sure the climate and the cool temperatures and all that stuff is right,” Cunningham said. “And these are what jobs are wanting once you’re released. Our main goal is making sure that you came out a whole lot different than when you came in.”

The renovations also include classroom space and technology upgrades to support education. Inmates will have access to iPads to study for GEDs or learn other job skills.

“As long as they’re being trained, as long as they’re being educated, they don’t have the time to get into all that foolishness,” Cunningham said. “This is a great opportunity. The county has gone above and beyond to be able to let us get this done.”

Cunningham said his staff studied similar programs at other jails before shaping Montgomery County’s approach.

“It takes a village to raise a kid, and it takes all of us working together to make sure that the product that we’re putting back out here on the street is going to be an A-plus product,” he said.

Inmates are being housed in different parts of the jail as construction is finished on various sections. The renovations are expected to be completed in spring 2026.