GADSDEN, Ala. ( WBRC ) - Officials say that upgrades at one Alabama jail have already proven effective.

The Etowah County Sheriff’s Office (ECSO) is reporting a dramatic decrease in contraband smuggling and a 90% drop in inmate overdoses after the completion of exterior security upgrades at the Etowah County Detention Center in Gadsden.

The jail, built in 1993, has sat with no external perimeters on three sides on a street corner in Gadsden. County officials say that made it possible for people to introduce contraband, such as narcotics, into the jail just by approaching the outer walls.

Looking for a solution, Sheriff’s Jonathan Horton developed a plan in 2022 to enhance the jail’s exterior security.

With support and funding from the Etowah County Commission, the project included in

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