IUKA - With final inspection and approval by the state of new jail facilities, Tishomingo County expects to soon have up to 75 state inmates for needed work around the county, plus an additional five state inmates to work on the jail premises.

Sheriff Glenn Whitlock said Jackson attorney Ron Welch, the official who inspects state inmate housing across Mississippi, said last week that all approvals for the transfer of inmates into the Iuka jail have been completed.

"I expect we'll begin seeing some of them in the next couple of weeks," the sheriff said.

The county-state workers will be dispersed to county government offices, city governments and nonprofit organizations around the county.

"The supervisors and cities have all asked for some of these men, and after those have been assigned we'll set up some kind of classification system to match their skills with where they are needed," Whitlock said. The Board of Supervisors early last month approved the hiring of three additional jailers with the increased jail population.

Those positions were filled by part-time employees and training volunteers.

"We try to do that as much as possible, put people who have been working with us and proven themselves into full-time jobs when those become available."

lena.mitchell@journalinc.com