The Mobile County Metro Jail is a local detention facility housing both pre-trial and sentenced inmates for Mobile County and the City of Mobile. The average daily population of the jail is approximately 1, 350 inmates.

Metro Jail is operated by the Sheriff of Mobile County who has appointed a Jail Warden to oversee the day-to-day operation of the jail. The Warden supervises a staff of more than 230 corrections officers and civilian support staff.

The jail complex has 1, 144 offender beds; 816 of those beds are in the main jail facility which was constructed in stages from 1984 through 1992. The main jail houses male and female offenders charged with offenses ranging from misdemeanors to felonies.

The minimum security Barracks, opened in late 2002 contains 328 offender beds and houses male and female offenders charged with misdemeanor and low felony offenses. Inmates are housed in dormitories and are considered “working inmates,” who provide labor for the main jail and Barracks. Labor tasks include maintaining Jail and Sheriff’s Office grounds, providing janitorial services for the jail and the Sheriff’s Administration Building, kitchen duties, and many other tasks. In addition, inmate labor crews work in public parks and at other public facilities and assist in providing labor for Mardi Gras and other public events. The use of inmate labor provides an annual savings of more than $1.5 million to the citizens of Mobile County.

Metro Jail provides a comprehensive range of services to inmates, including food and medical services. Approximately 1.5 million meals per year are prepared and served at the jail. All menus are prepared by a registered dietician and special diets are provided for medical and religious purposes.

Medical services are provided by a private corrections medical services company, according to the terms of a contract with the Mobile County Commission. A full range of medical services are provided, including traditional medical, mental health and dental services. The medical staff includes a full-time physician, a part-time psychiatrist, a psychiatric nurse and full-time nurses to provided around-the-clock medical services to the inmate population.

Numerous programs are offered to inmates in the jail, included Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, General Education Development courses, computer training classes and religious services. More than 150 active community volunteers give of their time on a regular basis to provide rehabilitative programming.