Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians wins $18 million ARRA grant for jails
The Smoky Mountain Times
By Lee Zion, Times Staff
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians has announced that the tribe plans to build its own jail.
Brandon Stephens, building construction manager for the tribe, says it's too early in the process to know anything about the jail. All the major questions - how many inmates it can hold, how much it will cost to build, how long it will take - cannot be answered yet. Stephens expects to have an update in December or January, as more information becomes available.
He was able to say the tribe got an $18 million grant from the federal Department of Justice. The money will be released as the project progresses. To get the $18 million, the tribe must put up at least $2 million of its own money. The tribe has already committed the $2 million, Stephens said. He said that just because $20 million is on the table, that doesn't mean the jail will end up costing $20 million. Depending on the design and capacity of the jail, it could cost more, he said.
