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Smyrna Today
By the People, for the People
Smyrna Closing Municipal Jail, Partnering with County
City officials say the move will reallocate resources and study facility's future use.
Published on Mar. 2, 2026
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The City of Smyrna, Georgia has announced it will close its 64-bed municipal jail following a unanimous city council vote. The jail is expected to close on June 2, and the Smyrna Police Department will enter into an agreement with the Cobb County Sheriff's Office to house inmates. City Administrator Michael L. Jones said discussions about the jail's future have taken place over the past three years, and officials determined that reallocating fiscal and personnel resources and studying the facility's repurposing for evolving public safety needs are better long-term strategies than investing in costly refurbishments.
Why it matters
Smyrna is the last municipality in Cobb County to maintain its own jail, and the closure reflects a broader trend of smaller cities outsourcing jail operations to county-level authorities. The move aims to free up resources for the city to explore new public safety strategies and facility uses.
The details
The Smyrna City Council voted unanimously to close the 64-bed municipal jail. The jail is expected to shut down on June 2, and the Smyrna Police Department will partner with the Cobb County Sheriff's Office to house inmates going forward. City officials said discussions about the jail's future have taken place over the past three years, and they determined that reallocating fiscal and personnel resources, as well as studying the facility's repurposing for evolving public safety needs, are better long-term strategies than investing in costly refurbishments.
- The Smyrna City Council voted unanimously on the jail closure on March 1, 2026.
- The municipal jail is expected to close on June 2, 2026.
The players
Michael L. Jones
The City Administrator of Smyrna, Georgia.
Cobb County Sheriff's Office
The law enforcement agency that will house inmates from Smyrna's closed municipal jail.
What they’re saying
“Closing the jail is a budget-neutral action. Smyrna is the last municipality in Cobb County to maintain a jail.”
— Michael L. Jones, City Administrator (Atlanta News First)
What’s next
Officials said they are now making plans to study the best strategy for repurposing the jail facility as the city transitions its operations.
The takeaway
Smyrna's closure of its municipal jail reflects a broader trend of smaller cities outsourcing jail operations to county authorities in order to reallocate resources and explore new public safety strategies and facility uses.
