On New Year’s Day, Maj. Chester Huffman walked into the Charles B. Webster Detention Center and wanted to cry.
“I might have had some chest pains,” he reflected last week. The once-proud Augusta jail on Phinizy Road had fallen into disrepair, its population growing beyond capacity, and the weight of the situation was clear. Maj. Huffman had left the jail in 2014, knowing it would soon face overcrowding. In the years that followed, the problem only worsened.
Maj. Huffman, who had overseen the jail’s operations previously, recalled the projections made back in the late 1990s and early 2000s. “We were not spot-on, but we were close just a few years before COVID,” he said, acknowledging the stagnation the pandemic caused.
When Maj. Huffman returned in 2025 under the leadership of Sheriff Gino Brantley, the situation wasn’t any better.
“We had a 2030 Master Plan. We knew we’d need more beds. But where are the beds?” Maj. Huffman asked, frustrated.
The facility still had only 1,040 beds – the same number when Maj. Huffman left over a decade ago, despite years of planning. “We have no additional bed space,” he said, emphasizing that growth had been identified but never materialized.
Recognizing the urgent need for change, Maj. Huffman initiated the process to request funding for a long-awaited expansion through SPLOST 9. The Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax is used to fund specific public projects such as infrastructure improvements, schools, and public safety. It is voted on by local residents and is typically applied for a set period to finance designated capital projects.
He said, “We started in January and said we don’t want to move backward,” focusing on identifying financial sources to help fund the expansion. The plan calls for $115 million to add 300 beds, including two 150-bed units, a new corridor, additional power plant capacity, and expanded kitchen, laundry, and warehouse spaces.
Despite the challenges, Maj. Huffman is determined to move forward. “Yesterday, we started the process to get committee approval,” he shared on Wednesday. “I’m going to say in a year and a couple of months, we’ll be sticking a shovel in the ground.”
He projects that in about three years, the jail will be able to add those 300 beds, significantly alleviating overcrowding.
Currently, the jail population hovers around 1,300 inmates, with only 1,040 available beds and others using mats. The facility continues to house individuals who should not be there, such as medical and mental health detainees in spaces not intended for such purposes. However, when the expansion is complete, the facility will be able to house the excess inmates properly.
“We’ll take 300 of the excess inmates and give them a bed,” he said.
The expansion is crucial as overcrowding often leads to other challenges, including litigation and increased strain on staff. “The more crowded you are, the more litigation,” Maj. Huffman said. “We house our inmates, and we do our best to ensure their safety, but the lack of space only adds to the difficulty.”
In early February, Richmond County returned inmates from Jefferson County and Dougherty County, which was costing the county $55 per day per inmate.
Alongside the expansion, Maj. Huffman has been addressing the facility’s deteriorating conditions. He recalled the state of the jail when he walked in on Jan. 1, noting the ice machine had been broken for weeks and a roof leak that had gone unaddressed. “Eight security gates – $40,000 a pair. One gate worked,” Maj. Huffman said, highlighting the poor state of security infrastructure.
However, since he returned, repairs have been underway. “We’ve had a few gates repaired, sensors fixed, and even cell windows replaced that had been broken for who knows how long.”
Inmates have already begun to notice the improvements. “They remember me,” Maj. Huffman said. “When they tell you they’re glad you’re back, what does that mean?”
He emphasized that, despite the ongoing challenges, the atmosphere in the jail has improved. “The jail conditions have improved. We call it jail climate,” Maj. Huffman explained. “We’ve replaced broken cell lights, fixed doors, and made the living areas safer for the inmates.”
Efforts have also been made to improve the jail’s food services, which had been lacking. “The food vendor had some issues with the dishwashing machine, and we were serving paper trays instead of proper meals,” Maj. Huffman said.
When Mayor Garnett Johnson and local commissioners toured the jail, they raised concerns about the quality of the food being served on styrofoam trays. That feedback led to conversations with the food vendor, which helped resolve the issue.
To further improve conditions for inmates, Maj. Huffman has overseen the introduction of tablets, which serve as a vital connection to the outside world. The facility currently has 90 tablets available for use, with plans to expand this number significantly.
This week, 1,000 additional tablets are being ordered to help meet the needs of the growing inmate population. The tablets provide inmates with access to phone calls, video visits, and other resources, all of which are managed through a live FaceTime application. The tablets have become an important tool for maintaining communication and offering inmates privileges that can be revoked if necessary, as part of the facility’s ongoing efforts to improve the jail environment.
While the jail is improving, Maj. Huffman acknowledged that there is still much work to be done.
In addition to ongoing repairs, Maj. Huffman has also addressed long-standing privacy concerns in the jail’s showers. Previously, inmates had to use makeshift privacy measures, such as sheets tied to strings or mops, to shield themselves from view.
“If you look into the day room, you can look right into the shower,” Maj. Huffman noted, calling it a minor but noticeable issue. In response, new shower bars were ordered and installed to provide better privacy, with see-through curtains attached to fixed brackets. This improvement, which cost a couple of thousand dollars, is one of the many changes aimed at enhancing the jail’s living conditions.
Additionally, Maj. Huffman’s team has been proactive in addressing contraband smuggling, particularly synthetic marijuana, which had been a pervasive issue in the past. As of March 1, the jail has instituted a new policy where mail is sent to an offsite address, scanned, and only legal documents are allowed to be delivered directly to the inmates.
While there are still dangerous items like shanks being discovered, Maj. Huffman is confident that his team is doing everything they can to maintain control. Recent surprise inspections have yielded positive results, and he praised his staff for their efforts. “We’ve got a ways to go,” he said.
From fixing broken showers to addressing contraband issues, Maj. Huffman is focused on every aspect of the facility. Despite these challenges, Maj. Huffman’s leadership is driving change.
“We are a work in progress,” he said.
