Eight years ago, inmates at the Morgan County Jail were crammed in cells — on bunks and on the floor.

A group of inmates sought relief from the poor living conditions through federal court. They filed a class-action lawsuit against the late Sheriff Steve Crabbe, the County Commission and the state Department of Corrections.

U.S. District Judge U.W. Clemon heard the case.

During court proceedings, inmates told Clemon of dirty cells, broken toilets and insect infestation. One inmate said ants crawled on him while he slept on the floor.

The jail’s capacity was 96, and at one point the population rose to 262.

Clemon inspected the jail and found the allegations to be true. He likened conditions to a slave ship.

After court proceedings, Clemon ordered officials to make repairs to the old jail and build a new one.

Officials had to put inmates in other jails in the state to lower Morgan’s jail population until the new jail was ready.

In 2006, Sheriff Greg Bartlett moved inmates into the new $23 million jail.

Today the inmate population fluctuates between 385 to 400. Capacity is 411.

The sheriff says he will make sure the jail, which has four pods, never gets overcrowded.

“Our numbers go up and down,” Bartlett said. “We might be close to being full, and then two weeks later we might drop 20 inmates. We’ve never reached capacity, but we have been over 400.”

Bartlett also houses federal inmates, and, he said, their number averages between 25 and 30.

Almost full

As of Wednesday, the jail population was 408.

One of the jail’s pods is designated for women. Bartlett said because of the low number of female inmates, he divided that pod and added 70 beds for males.

“Community corrections is working, but those who fail the program are locked up, and they stay in jail a while,” Bartlett said. “That has spiked our number by 10 or 15. We also house inmates for Somerville and Trinity, and that adds about five or 10 a month.”

Holding state inmates caused overcrowded conditions in the old jail. State officials were not picking up convicted inmates and taking them to prison in a timely manner.

Clemon’s court order required the state to start clearing inmates from the jail within 30 days after sentencing. Bartlett said the state continues to comply with the court order.

Drug-related

Most inmates are in jail on drug-related charges.

“About 80 or 90 percent of them are in for drug-related charges,” Bartlett said. “Even if it’s a burglary charge, drugs are usually behind it.”

The sheriff said he is prepared to handle any increase in population. He is in the process of adding 18 bunks to a cell.

“It’s one of the cleanest (jails) in the state,” he said. “The floors are always shining.”