Smyrna City Council approves closing city jail, working with Cobb County to house inmates

The City of Smyrna plans to close its 64-bed municipal jail in the upcoming months.

In a unanimous vote on Monday, the Smyrna City Council approved the future closure of the facility on Atlanta Road and plans to study how to repurpose the building.

City Administrator Mike Jones said that discussions over the future of the jail had been going on for months. The city is the last municipality in Cobb County to maintain its own jail.

"Elected officials have made the determination that closing the jail, reallocating fiscal and personnel resources, and working toward repurposing study to address public safety needs that have emerged over time and now outweigh future costs of retaining the facility is the best option rather than plan to invest significantly to refurbish the facility," Jones said. "Closing it is a budget-neutral action."

In the future, Smyrna police will work with the Cobb County Sheriff's Office to house inmates. The city already has agreements for housing inmates with Sandy Springs, Roswell, Acworth, and Marietta.

City officials say there are currently 17 people working at the jail and estimate that about 10 employees will be moved to other open positions. Those who are transferred will not see a reduction in pay. 

The jail is expected to close on June 2, 2026.